A Darkness Absolute (Casey Duncan, #2) by Kelley Armstrong Also by this author: Deceptions, Betrayals, Omens (Cainsville, #1), City of the Lost (Casey Duncan, #1), This Fallen Prey (Casey Duncan, #3)
Series: Casey Duncan #2
Also in this series: City of the Lost (Casey Duncan, #1)
Published by Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books on February 7th 2017
Genres: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Pages: 416
Format: Audiobook
ISBN: 1250092175
ASIN: B01N9VNC18
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The follow-up to #1 NYT bestseller Kelley Armstrong’s acclaimed City of the Lost, Rockton town detective Casey Duncan makes a terrible—and dangerous—discovery in the woods outside of town.
When experienced homicide detective Casey Duncan first moved to the secret town of Rockton, she expected a safe haven for people like her, people running from their past misdeeds and past lives. She knew living in Rockton meant living off-the-grid completely: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council’s approval. What she didn’t expect is that Rockton comes with its own set of secrets and dangers.
Now, in A Darkness Absolute, Casey and her fellow Rockton sheriff’s deputy Will chase a cabin-fevered resident into the woods, where they are stranded in a blizzard. Taking shelter in a cave, they discover a former resident who’s been held captive for over a year. When the bodies of two other women turn up, Casey and her colleagues must find out if it’s an outsider behind the killings or if the answer is more complicated than that...before another victim goes missing.
Casey Duncan returns in another heart-racing thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.
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When I was offered a review copy of A Darkness Absolute a while back, I very responsibly put it in line following a couple of other books I planned to review, but now I come to you with a confession: I have no willpower and because I loved City of the Lost so much, temptation took control and I began listening. From the opening chapter, I was once more caught up in the web that surrounds the fictional town of Rockton, a city in the Canadian wilderness that technically doesn’t exist except for those who live there. The residents are a motley crew of miscreants who are there for a variety of reasons and they have survived the screening process as well as paid the price to disappear in Rockton for a brief time. Detective Casey Duncan has her own reasons for hiding out, but the main reason she made the cut is because of her detecting skills. A bonus for her is the top police dog Sheriff Eric Dalton who wins her heart in the City of the Lost despite his less-than-winning personality. Who knew solving a case together could be such an aphrodisiac? When Casey and Deputy Will Anders find themselves on a manhunt in the deep, dark forest surrounding Rockton, imagine their surprise when they stumble upon a woman who went missing from Rockton over a year ago. The fact that she is barely alive and has been held captive by a madman opens the door to a convoluted series of events introducing dark characters with dark pasts and even darker plans for the future.
Narrator Thérèse Plummer performed the author’s work with such skill, I feel compelled to comment a bit on the relationship of a narrator to a book. For those who haven’t been caught up into AudioWorld, it is a unique place that is more than just someone reading aloud to you. A gifted narrator actually performs the book as if it is a stage play — most often a one-man or one-woman show with one person playing all the parts. In the best work, each character will have a distinctive voice and I stand in awe of the narrator’s ability to remember which voice belongs to which character! As I listened to Thérèse Plummer, I was acutely aware of the subtle differences in the voices of the characters she portrayed and how easy it is to distinguish them. From the child-like tones of the rescued captive Nicole Chavez to the irreverent blustering of former Rockton sheriff Tyrone Cypher, Ms. Plummer’s performance is a gift.
If you plan to listen to A Darkness Absolute without first listening to City of the Lost, I think you will find that the author gives you enough of the back story to keep you from being completely lost. Frankly, I consider this a gift within itself — the ability to make your story clear without forcing a reader to read all your other stories for information. Of course, you will be missing a treat if you choose to skip the first book and as always, each character has a story to tell that helps to develop the plot. For example, Eric’s brother Jacob who seemed to be such a Neanderthal in the first book becomes a more likable character in the second so if you didn’t read the first book, you will miss that distinction. I am such a sucker for lovable pets in books and Kelley Armstrong has written a four-legged thief who stole my heart. Storm is a Newfoundland puppy who is so adorable you might as well prepare yourself to fall in love. I highly recommend this book to those who read City of the Lost and became attached to the characters. Many of them make appearances along with new characters I want to know better. If you like to follow an investigation from inside the head of the investigator, this is a must-read for you. There won’t be a predictable solution to the crime and even when the identity of the abductor/murderer is revealed, you may still be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
About Kelley Armstrong
Kelley 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.
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