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A review by salimah
A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong
3.0
This book frustrated me for the same reasons the third book did. Casey and Eric make one less-than-ideal decision after another while in territory known for more than one kind of mortal danger, and of course they encounter every single variety of it. At least three of their missteps in this segment of the book could have been avoided.
I love that Kelley Armstrong allows keen insight into the psychological dynamics of her characters' relationships and insights into their motivations from moment to moment, but if I have to endure one more of Casey's tortured moments of hesitation when she just needs to fire her damn gun, I swear. . .
Additionally, for as much as Rockton is supposed to be a guarded secret, people certainly have no issue slipping in there (or being allowed to come in by Casey or Eric). I raise this issue because while Felicity has been shown to be a potential ally, she still has ties and loyalty to the first settlement. Her grandfather has not been proven to be a trusted ally. Members of the first settlement consistently prove they are erratic and still prone to violence and weird feelings of entitlement where the citizens of Rockton are concerned.
This is a running theme in these books. A known untrustworthy element (or person) is out there (or in their own backyard) and Casey, mostly, continues to engage that element without completely eliminating that threat at the first sign of trouble. I know the author wants to dissolve some of these established divisions for the sake of story and plot, but it requires a suspension of disbelief that a detective from a major metropolis "down south" would be willing to take so many chances that rely on the basic goodness of others when 9 out of 10 encounters in her environment are nearly fatal.
I know the hostiles are a metaphor for the castoffs of society (the unhoused, the mentally ill), but they are not the part of this world that really interests me and every time they are given focus they suck all the air out of the parts of this series that I have loved. That, I'm sure, is something I should interrogate.
On to book 7!
I love that Kelley Armstrong allows keen insight into the psychological dynamics of her characters' relationships and insights into their motivations from moment to moment, but if I have to endure one more of Casey's tortured moments of hesitation when she just needs to fire her damn gun, I swear. . .
Additionally, for as much as Rockton is supposed to be a guarded secret, people certainly have no issue slipping in there (or being allowed to come in by Casey or Eric). I raise this issue because while Felicity has been shown to be a potential ally, she still has ties and loyalty to the first settlement. Her grandfather has not been proven to be a trusted ally. Members of the first settlement consistently prove they are erratic and still prone to violence and weird feelings of entitlement where the citizens of Rockton are concerned.
This is a running theme in these books. A known untrustworthy element (or person) is out there (or in their own backyard) and Casey, mostly, continues to engage that element without completely eliminating that threat at the first sign of trouble. I know the author wants to dissolve some of these established divisions for the sake of story and plot, but it requires a suspension of disbelief that a detective from a major metropolis "down south" would be willing to take so many chances that rely on the basic goodness of others when 9 out of 10 encounters in her environment are nearly fatal.
I know the hostiles are a metaphor for the castoffs of society (the unhoused, the mentally ill), but they are not the part of this world that really interests me and every time they are given focus they suck all the air out of the parts of this series that I have loved. That, I'm sure, is something I should interrogate.
On to book 7!