Review: Time to Play by Erin Ampersand

Time to Play (Apocalypse Parenting, #1)

by Erin Ampersand

Release Date: August 18, 2026 (Originally published independently in 2022)

2026 HarperCollins 

Ebook & Hardcover Editions; 375 Pages

ISBN: 978-0008857172

ASIN: B0H1DTBVXJ

Audiobook: B0BRBSG6BL

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / LitRPG

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars 

 

Summary

Congratulations! Your planet has been selected!

And just like that, Earth becomes the newest unwilling participant in a high-stakes intergalactic game show competition. What that means becomes terrifyingly clear as monsters drop onto the front lawn, an interface appears in your field of vision, and you—and your nine- and six-year-old sons and three-year-old daughter—are each offered a choice of supernatural abilities.

Part of you wants to laugh. Your husband’s away on business, coming home late tonight. Well, he was. But you clamp down on your rising panic. It doesn’t matter how much harder it will be. You’re a mom. Your kids need you; it’s up to you to keep them safe. You can do this.

Then, in quick succession, you discover: 1) your toddler has unilaterally decided her supernatural power should be for her beloved turtle stuffie to come alive. 2) every person on Earth will have to fight, no matter their age. You're going to have to teach your kids to stand on their own—and yourself to let them.

 

My Thoughts

Time to Play is one of those LitRPG book I've been meaning to read since it was first published several years ago, but never really had the time to read so when the publisher reached out and offered the first three books in the series, I was thrilled. And the first one did not disappoint.  And while I definitely enjoyed the LitRPG elements to the story, what I especially enjoyed was the way the MC navigated some difficult times while trying to keep her young children alive and healthy. 

 

Megan is the MC and everything is told through her perspective.  Personally I couldn't even imagine the terror and the other thoughts ripping through her head when the apocalypse happened and she lost all of the technology in her house and in the neighbourhood. Megan is tough, resourceful, a problem solver, and one who is willing to help others, but at the same time, she is cautious and doesn't take unnecessary risks. I like how she interacts with her kids and the conversations feel natural and at their level, but she doesn't accept everything at face value as we often see with her interactions with Pointy, a stuffed AI turtle who has an interesting story line with her three-year-old daughter. The secondary characters were interesting and I definitely hope to see more of them in the next couple of books as I would like to learn more about their backgrounds as well as what they are capable of in the context of this story. 

 

The plot moved rather quickly and I was glad it wasn't overwhelmed with stats and other things that can be typical in LitRPG books. It's not that I dislike stats as I find them fascinating, but the relationship between Megan and her children as well as how Megan interacts with the neighbourhood was the focus of this book and I liked that it wasn't overwhelmed with too many stats. There was just the right amount of tension in this book and there were some secondary story lines building within the main one that could prove interesting as the story progresses. There were lots of twists and turns, and I liked the countdown to when the next dangerous creature would be released as it raised the tension and the interest as I was reading. The actual skills were interesting and I liked how confusing they were for everyone. And there were some funny moments that occurred because of those skills.  Megan was far more stoic than I would have been by then as I think I would have sat down and just bawled my eyes out with frustration.  There were some things happening that do make you realize that indicate future events will be quite serious and potentially dangerous so I am curious as to how it will all play out.

 

Verdict

Time to Play was a fun book to read and while it was serious in tone, there were definitely some comic relief moments that made me laugh out loud.  The MC was somewhat sarcastic and I loved the snide comments that were made when her children laughed at her for the things she said, did, or wore. Kids will be kids even in a moment of crisis!!  While there were elements in the story that did slow down the overall pace and tension, overall I really enjoyed watching Megan struggle to figure out how to protect her family and interact with her neighbours while learning how to navigate the new system. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series.  

 

 

 

Review: The Lost Child by Patricia Gibney

The Lost Child (D.I. Lottie Parker, #3)

by Patricia Gibney

Release Date: October 27, 2017

2017 Bookouture

Ebook Edition; 448 Pages

ISBN: 978-1786812377

ASIN:  ‎ B073SHHY6J

Audiobook: B076PPLZFX

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

An elderly woman is found murdered in her own home, and Detective Lottie Parker and her partner Detective Boyd are called in to investigate. When they discover that the victim’s daughter is missing as well, they start to fear for the safety of the whole family…

Two days later as a nearby house is set on fire and with the body count rising, Lottie and her team begin to unpick a web of secrets and lies, as the murders seem to link back to a case investigated by Lottie’s father before he took his own life.

With little knowledge of what really happened to her father, Lottie knows this is a case that could give her some answers. But how much does she want to know? And how far is Lottie prepared to dig to uncover the truth?

 

My Thoughts

The Lost Child is the third entry in the DI Lottie Parker series and this entry was just as intriguing as the previous books if for different reasons. Because this case has personal ties with the mystery of Lottie's father's death, it impacts Lottie on a personal level and causes her to behave erratically at times. While the mystery was quite intriguing, I really liked Lottie's development and her fall into bad habits to keep the emotional memories at bay and to keep herself from falling apart completely.

 

Okay, three books in and we've been watching Lottie spiral downwards the entire time, so I was waiting for this book to see how an investigation or a connection into her father's death would affect her emotionally and the author didn't disappoint.  If you are looking for a perfect DI, this you will not get as Lottie is flawed and somewhat emotionally unstable, dealing with her children who are also going through some difficulties. Personally, I think this reflects life a bit more and how challenging life can be with a job as difficult as the one Lottie has while trying to raise children as a single mom.  Lottie can be frustrating and she doesn't let anyone close to her, but at the same time, you can't help but root for her and want her to either talk to someone she trusts or get professional help before her decisions affect someone on her team.

 

The plot moves along quickly, but it certainly isn't easy to put everything together and get a clear idea of what is happening, especially with the dual timelines.  And honestly, the thread about Lotty's father has been woven throughout the books already, but it rears its ugly head in this one and creates a lot of havoc for everyone involved. I don't really care about how long the chapters are in books, but I do think the shorter chapters in this one kept me a bit more engaged as I kept wanting to read 'just one more'. As an aside, I do like how the author incorporated some of the history into the book with the insane asylum time line; it's definitely haunting and not something that we should forget. 

 

Verdict

The Lost Child was an engrossing entry into the series, and I like how the author is slowly revealing more depth to the characters as the series progresses. There is a lot going on in this book and at times, I almost felt like there was too much going on and the author wouldn't be able to keep a handle on all the straws, but with twists and turns a plenty, everything does come together in the end in an exciting way.  I thought the balance between plot and character development was good and the story was full of tension and high stakes. I do recommend that you start from the first book in order to grasp the nuances of the secondary plot line running through this story; however, you would probably still enjoy it as a standalone.  

 

Review: Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls: An Interactive Horror Gamebook by Brenna LaFaro

Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls: An Interactive Horror Gamebook (#22 Try Not to Die Series)

by Brennan LaFaro

Release Date: June 16, 2026

2026 Vincere Press

Ebook Edition; 404 Pages

ISBN: 978-1961740563

ASIN: B0GHJL4ZYL

Genre: Fiction / Horror / YA

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Slattery Falls is home to the most haunted house on the East Coast, the one nobody's ever heard of. You're Matty Hargrove, a senior determined to become a great horror writer, so when your classmate Nate Tedeschi offers a chance to explore the infamous Weeks House, you'd be a fool to say no. Especially with his twin sister Bex coming along.

The moment you step inside, it's clear something is wrong. The house isn't empty. It never was. For years, something in there has been watching, waiting, feeding, and now it has you.

Every decision sets your fate. A few might keep you alive a little longer. Most lead to brutal, unforgettable deaths.

 

My Thoughts

Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls is the first book I've read in the Try Not to Die series, and when I finished this book I actually picked up the first three and read them pretty quickly as I enjoyed them quite a bit. I had heard of this series, but never really had the time to indulge so I took the opportunity to do so after finishing this book. This book brought me back to my childhood and my enjoyment at reading the Choose Your Own Adventure books, so I thought it was quite interesting to see a horror version of this type of book. And let's just leave it at the fact that I was no better at choosing my fate as an adult than I was as a kid as I died multiple times in this book.  

 

I was already a fan of this author's work having read the Slattery Falls Trilogy (Book 3 being my favourite) as well as The Demon of Devil's Canyon, so I was familiar with the town of Slattery Falls and some of its history.  Therefore, I am not really sure how this book would land with someone who has not read at least the first book in the trilogy. This was definitely an interesting read, but I wasn't surprised at how quickly the storyline went darker than you would think as I expected this, and it definitely did go dark very fast as the story twisted and turned until suddenly, oops, I made the wrong choice yet again, and faced some very severe and ouchy consequences.  And I thought I was actually making good and logical choices.  

 

I did enjoy the story and some of the character development, but I did think the character development was somewhat one-dimensional and I also thought the story ended rather abruptly. Now, could the abrupt ending be because of the choices I made rather than the intended purpose, I don't really know, but I did read the alternate endings and I rather liked the darker ending far more. However, I do like twisted stuff so perhaps that was just a personal response.  The twists and turns were quite fun however, and you do learn a bit about the characters, but I still felt like the overall story was not as in-depth as it could have been. 

 

Verdict

Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls was an enjoyable choose-your-own-path book and I do have to say I am no longer confident about my chances of surviving a haunted house after this book as I died pretty abruptly not too long after entering the house and multiple times afterwards. The chapters were the perfect length to get invested in the story, but not so long that you got bored and after several poor choices, I could feel the tension in my body going up a little bit as I really wanted to make a good choice.  While I didn't think the characters were greatly developed, they were still relatable and you wanted to root for all of them.  I do have to say that the sentient house was one of the highlights of this book though.  As I've already mentioned, I was intrigued enough by this book to read three more in the series, so if you want something that may remind you of your childhood, or just something a bit different, this may be for you.  

 

Review: Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs by Antony Beevor

Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs

by Antony Beevor

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 Viking

Ebook ARC; 371 Pages

ISBN: 979-8217061181

ASIN: B0FHJY48KC

Audiobook: B0FKQBN7DG

Genre: Non-Fiction / Historical / Biography

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

2 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

When Russia's Dowager Empress was pregnant with the future Tsar, she dreamed that a peasant would one day kill her son. The idea terrified her, and for the rest of her days she 'lived under the pressure of the prophecy'.

Rasputin had no official position. A barely literate moujhik from Siberia, he had no forces at his command. He was a devoted monarchist, not a revolutionary. And yet, through his uncanny seduction of the imperial household, he contributed more than any other individual to the collapse of the greatest autocracy in the world. 'This man was unique', observed one writer. 'Like a character out of a novel, he lived in legend, he died in legend, and his memory is cloaked in legend.' 

 

My Thoughts

Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs is one of those books I was looking forward to reading as I have had a lifelong fascination with Russia, all of the emperors, the politics, and the downfall of the Romanovs. However, what I was particularly looking forward to was this author's thoughts and viewpoints with regards to Rasputin, especially having read and loved Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege and The Fall of Berlin 1945, both more objective pieces of writing that allowed you to think and grasp the situations as they unfolded.  This one did not do that, implying the fall of the Russian empire had to do with one woman, as if all the other issues with Nicholas, the war, the political system, the plight of the peasants, the peasant revolt, the war with Japan, etc... had little value in what happened and this turned me off completely.

 

You can't have a biography about such a man and not invest time and effort into the political situation that existed, but I don't feel the author did either of those things justice. Maybe because the political situation was quite complex and goes back much further than Nicholas and Alexandra and you need a really good understanding of the people, the politics, the social structure, and so on in order to really understand why Alexandra reacted the way she did.  And believe me, I am in no way excusing her actions as the two of them together were a force of destruction, both being selfish, dysfunctional as well as incompetent. Face it, Nicholas made some really poor decisions, but the whole upper class was a lesson in dysfunctional at the time, and to throw them into a war for which they were completely unprepared would have thrown everything into chaos and allowed those who were waiting for a moment to strike to do so.  Who wouldn't? Do I feel sorry for how they met their ends? Of course, but I also understand why they died. War is a brutal time for everyone and a lot of people were suffering under Nicholas and Alexandra's rule so when you are desperate for change, you do what you must.  This is what the author failed to show in this book, placing the large part of the blame solely on Rasputin and Alexandra's shoulders when the issues are far more complex than that.  The cracks were already there, the people just broke them open.

 

Rasputin is certainly one of those people whom people should have been leery of as here comes this peasant, is invited to court, is invited to the inner circle of the most powerful people of the last autocratic society left, whispers in people's ears and they listen him, and Nicholas and Alexandra not only use him to look after their sickly child, but begin seeking his counsel for matters of state and other political policies. This man had really weird sexual relationships with other women, but Alexandra has no problem leaving him alone with your imperial princesses and doesn't wonder what he may be up to?  Don't forget, the Tsarina was German, so no wonder people thought Rasputin may be a spy. Who knows? And there is so much more. So much more that was convoluted and not explained in this book, something that was disappointing.  But what is clearly done? The woman is blamed for everything.  Does Alexandra deserve the roasting? Absolutely. Does Rasputin deserve the roasting? Yes. But that is such a simplistic view it is almost laughable.

 

Verdict

Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs is one of those books in which I was really disappointed having really enjoyed this author's previous works. I felt this was convoluted and a bit messy, and while there were some interesting facts about Rasputin woven throughout the book, there was nothing really new. And I know this author knows his history and has done a lot of research about the time period so it was disappointing the work wasn't more detailed as it felt choppy as if the author couldn't get a grasp as to why the fall of the empire should fall squarely on Rasputin and Alexandra's shoulders. And I think if you try to simplify such a complex subject, or try to eliminate other factors involved, you get exactly that, a piece of work that is simple and somewhat boring.  Will I read more of this author's works? Yes, definitely as I have read four of his non-fiction books, not including this one, and really enjoyed the amount of research and thought that went into them and hope future ones will continue to have the same great content. This one, I can't recommend. 

 

 

Review: When the Wolves are Silent by C.S. Harris

When the Wolves are Silent (Sebastian St. Cyr, #21)

by C.S. Harris

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 Berkley

Ebook & Audiobook ARC; 381 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593953891

ASIN: B0FHJSWHTV

Audiobook: B0GD2GYH4V

Genre: Fiction / Historical Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

London, 1816: When a notorious young aristocrat is burned alive on a windswept hill popular with neo-Druids, former cavalry officer Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, finds himself plunged into a murder investigation shadowed by tales of ancient human sacrifices and long-buried secrets.

The victim, Marcus Toole, was the only son and heir of a prominent nobleman. His closest friend—Sebastian’s own nephew, Bayard—claims to have passed out drunk before the attack and remembers nothing. But when Sebastian and his brilliant wife, Hero, delve deeper into the sordid activities of Bayard and his friends, they come to realize that Bayard may not be as innocent as he pretends. Following a tangled trail that leads from a disaffected former soldier-turned-highwayman to a beautiful, courageous journalist and a Jamaican-born fencing master with ties to a radical political movement, Sebastian begins to suspect that Bayard and his friends are being targeting in revenge, by victims who believe they have no other recourse. 

 

My Thoughts

When the Wolves are Silent is the next entry in the long-running Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series and I enjoyed this one quite a bit simply because the author focused on how the privileged can abuse their power during this time period rather than world politics. It's not that the impact of what was happening in the world wasn't mentioned, discussed, or described as that is the purpose behind Hero's actions in most of these books, but it wasn't the center of the story which was a bit of a relief as I needed a bit of a break from the political intrigue. Simply put, I found this one quite intriguing as it gave me a lot to think about in terms of abuse by the wealthy and how the spoiled offspring of the wealthy can have detrimental effects on a society.

 

I have always enjoyed the relationship between Hero and Sebastian, and while it was not really the center of the story it was always good to revisit them and see how they are doing. Because this series has been so long-running, it is not really necessary for the author to develop these characters the way it was done in the first few books as those of use who have followed the books are aware of who they are, what they have done, and their relationships. So, I enjoyed the focus on the secondary characters or the ones who are just appearing for the first time in these pages. I thought the author did a great job highlighting how wealth has come to be seen as a right rather than a privilege and how it has been abused throughout the generations. But what I found particularly interesting is the way people were now fighting that right and demanding answers for injustice against the abuse.  The early nineteenth century was certainly a time of change, especially after the Napoleonic Wars, and people were no longer willing to put up with 'privilege' in the same way. It would take a long time for the thinking to change, but I liked how the author developed the characters to showcase the fight and the tragedy when things go really badly.

 

The plot moved along quickly, and I was glad to see Sebastian involved in a case that did not involve the government, a government plot, treason, and so on. This was more about how young spoiled men abused their wealth and privilege to create havoc and destroy lives when they do not get their way. I liked how this theme was woven around other crises such as drought and the plight of soldiers returning from the war. The theme of slavery in the colonies also rose to the surface in this book through some of the characters and it was interesting to see how the author wove that throughout the story as well.  There were a lot of themes running through this books as well: poverty, abuse, rape, abuse of power, privilege, wealth, war, slavery, drought, helplessness, and so on.  

 

Verdict

When the Wolves are Silent was quite enjoyable and featured the type of storytelling that I think is one of the strengths of this author's as it focused more on the society, the time period, and some of the difficulties the people experienced during this time period without having to focus on the political leaders. The themes running through this book also gives the reader a lot to think about and to reflect on as you read about the plight of the people.  I did struggle with the previous two books in this series, which happens in long-running series, so I was quite happy to see the author focus on what I think are strengths of this series, the plight of everyday people and their fights for justice.

'  

 

Review: 14 by J.T. Ellison

14 (Taylor Jackson, #2)

by J.T. Ellison 

Release Date: May 19, 2026 (Originally published January 1st, 2008)

2026 Thomas & Mercer

Ebook Edition; 346 Pages

ISBN: 978-1662541407

ASIN: B0GHZM7J8R

Audiobook: B003JOAK6S

Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Suspense

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Lieutenant Taylor Jackson is no stranger to brutality, but her latest case shakes her to the core. The victims—with their pale skin, black hair, and ruby-red lips—recall a nightmare Nashville suffered decades ago. The Snow White Killer slaughtered ten princess look-alikes and was never caught.

A copycat is methodically recreating the Snow White murders, studying the original crimes and perfecting the craft. As Taylor fights to identify him before he completes his twisted homage, the investigation pulls her into a conspiracy that hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

 

 

My Thoughts

14 is the second book in the Taylor Jackson series, and when I was offered books 2-4 of the series, I immediately jumped at the chance having read the first book all those years ago. It's funny how certain books stick in your mind all these years later as I had no trouble remembering some of the details of Taylor's relationship as well as parts of the first mystery having of course forgotten the minute details. This book grabbed my attention right from the get-go and didn't let up until the end although I could have done without the chapters from a certain person.

 

Taylor is a strong lead and I liked how determined she is. She's intelligent and doesn't put her team into danger by doing stupid things and taking unnecessary risks.  I've always enjoyed it when an author takes things on a much personal level, making cases an emotional and psychological investment and this is exactly what happens with this one, raising the stakes for Taylor both personally and professionally. Because of this, the decisions she made would have profound effects on everyone around her, not just on her personally so the stakes are much higher. I didn't think the secondary characters were as developed in this one and I developed a hatred for Charlotte's chapters which is why I didn't rate this one higher as I didn't see the need for her chapters other than to add silly drama.  I understood why they were there, but they did take away from the tension of the story for me and made it more predictable.

 

The plot moved along quite rapidly which is often the case when you have multiple murders and kidnappings.  However, while I did enjoy the book and it was full of tension, it was a bit on the predictable side.  There were some good twists and turns and there were some that you could see coming a mile away, but it definitely went in a way I thought it would go towards the end. This didn't affect the tension in any way and I did have trouble putting down the book as I was invested.  There were a lot of themes running through this book; abuse, death, murder, the breakdown of family relationships, father-daughter relationships, loyalty, trust, lack of parenting, selfishness, wealth, and the list goes on and on.  

 

Verdict

14 was a decent mystery with a lot of tension even if there were moments that were quite predictable. I do think the newer version was more tightly woven than the older book one that I had read years before so reading the updated version was well worth it. While this was definitely plot-driven, the author didn't ignore the character development, in particular with regards to Taylor and the impact this was having on her as she was analyzing her relationships with her non-existent parents. I am looking forward to continuing this series with Judas Kiss. 

 

Review: Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe

Stay for a Spell 

by Amy Coombe

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 Ace

Ebook & Audiobook ARC Editions; 373 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593955536

ASIN: B0FHJSXKT4

Audiobook: B0FHLHG1YR

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Cozy / Romance

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.

During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks.  
There's just one, minor problem: as Tandy's royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?

 

My Thoughts

Stay for a Spell is the first in a planned trilogy, and while I did enjoy this, I did find it a bit predictable and honestly, other than a whole series of princes showing up to kiss the princess, nothing really happened. I understand this a cozy fantasy, but I have read a lot of cozy fantasy as fantasy is one of the genres I read a lot, and I do feel there should be more happening than Tandy crying every time she thinks she has to return to her duties.  She is a princess of the realm after all.  

 

I didn't mind Tandy as a character and I liked the fact she got drunk and went a little wild as I appreciated the fact she was alone for probably the first time in her life and was able to do things she was forbidden to do.  It kind of reminds me of university students let loose the first week and have no parental supervision for the first time in their lives and realize they don't have to answer to curfew or whatever.  I don't really feel like her character was fully developed however as she felt so superficial in her responses.  

 

The secondary characters were interesting, but again, I didn't really feel like I got to know them or understand them as they were developed on a one-dimensional level with little depth. Yes, I know the characters had issues, but they were minor and I didn't really empathize too much as I couldn't really connect with them. And this isn't just because this book is a cozy fantasy as I have read other cozy fantasies where the characters were written in-depth with a lot of personality.  The pirate had so much going for him that he could have been the most interesting character. I understand there is going to be another book, but to withhold too much information for this reason seems sort of silly to me. 

 

The plot was simple and predictable and you could tell exactly what Tandy needed to do to break the curse from the minute it happened. Being a cozy fantasy doesn't mean there aren't any stakes or issues for the MC, but this just rolled along as if Tandy could just ignore the fact she was a princess and just have her greatest desire and this didn't sit right with me.  There were some fun things in this book and I don't want to ignore those as I enjoyed the scene when she gets drunk and I did think some of the scenes with the princes were funny as well, but I did wish the author had spent more time describing the world and how it worked, especially how Tandy's family fit into it.

 

Verdict

Stay for a Spell was a low-stakes cozy fantasy that was quite predictable and had a very simply plot. While I enjoyed it, I did wish both the characters and the plot had been more developed; the characters were one-dimensional with little depth, and the plot just rolled along with little happening and Tandy whining about how she doesn't want to be a princess.  I just felt like there should have been more stakes involved considering she was a princess and it wouldn't be that easy to get away from your duties. That being said, as a whole, the book worked, was fun, and would definitely appeal to those looking for a light fun read.  The next book in this world will be published in 2027, The Dark Wizard Falls in Love. 

 

Review: First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong

First Sign of Danger (Haven's Rock, #4)

by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: February 17, 2026

2026 Minotaur Books

Ebook and Audiobook ARC Editions; 337 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250351821

ASIN:  ‎ B0F5PDG8NF

Audiobook: B0F6FTWB73

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven's Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven's Rock, they realize they're in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they're no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven's Rock. Only by tracing the hikers' movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven's Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.

 

My Thoughts

First Sign of Danger had an interesting story line in the fact that you can be both paranoid and overly cautious to the point where your paranoia sees things that aren't really there.  I like this book far better than the previous installment as it clears up several loose threads that have been on-going for several books and it always delves into the psychological aspects of living in secrecy and the impact that can have on its people. There was a lot to explore in this book.

 

I have been following Casey and Eric since book one of the Rockton books and reading about them as parents is quite interesting. As one of the only children in the community, it did make me wonder about the child growing up, their teenage years, and how Casey and Eric would cope with that as they are so isolated.  It was fun to see them coping with a teething baby while they still had to investigate the strangers in the forest and how that discovery would impact them. While the author doesn't ignore the character development, because we are so many books into the series, I don't think it is as relevant as it would be at the beginning of the series and the author can focus on the ensemble as well as the psychological elements of being so isolated.

 

The plot was interesting and like I already mentioned, it did clear up some threads that have been continuing throughout the series, and it definitely was not what I was expecting.  The Yukon wilderness comes alive in these books and as an avid hiker myself, I love the descriptions of them in the woods and how they track and search for people and clues.  I am personally deathly afraid of grizzly bears so I don't think I would hike there myself, but I the descriptions were vivid and I could picture myself there.  While the territorial dispute is central to the story, there is underlying plot that has been seeping through the books for a while now and it is finally rearing its ugly head as Casey and Eric realize they have a much bigger problem than they were anticipating.  The author does a great job at building suspense and tension, balancing procedural work with creepy scenes (such as the one with the bear), and when I thought I had it figured out, another twist came along. 

 

Verdict

First Sign of Danger was a step up from the previous book where I had to suspend belief way too much. It was full of twists and turns and the author definitely showed how dangerous the elements in the Yukon (Canada's boreal forest) could be in this one. If you hike, you know how quickly things can turn ugly and I like how she showed that, no holding back.  While I do think this could be read as a standalone, I do recommend you start with the Rockton series to get a full understanding of the characters, their paranoia, and why they live where they live for a richer experience.