City of the Lost - (Casey Duncan Novels) by Kelley Armstrong (Paperback)

About the Book

"Casey Duncan is a homicide detective with a secret: when she was in college, she killed a man. She was never caught, but he was the grandson of a mobster and she knows this crime will catch up to her. Casey's best friend, Diana, is on the run from a violent, abusive ex-husband. When Diana's husband finds her, and Casey herself is attacked shortly after, Casey knows it's time for the two of them to disappear again. Diana has heard of a domestic violence support town made for people like her, a town that takes in people on the run who want to shed their old lives. You must apply to live in Rockton and if you're accepted, it means walking away entirely from your old life, living off the grid in the wilds of Canada: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, no computers, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council's approval. As a murderer, Casey isn't a good candidate, but she has something they want; she's a homicide detective, and Rockton has just had its first real murder. She and Diana are in. However, soon after arriving, Casey realizes that the identity of a murderer isn't the only secret Rockton is hiding--in fact, she starts to wonder if she and Diana might be in even more danger in Rockton than they were in their old lives."--

Book Synopsis

Casey Duncan is a homicide detective with a secret: when she was in college, she killed a man. She was never caught, but he was the grandson of a mobster and she knows that someday this crime will catch up to her. Casey's best friend, Diana, is on the run from a violent, abusive ex-husband. When Diana's husband finds her, and Casey herself is attacked shortly after, Casey knows it's time for the two of them to disappear again.

Diana has heard of a town made for people like her, a town that takes in people on the run who want to shed their old lives. You must apply to live in Rockton and if you're accepted, it means walking away entirely from your old life, and living off the grid in the wilds of Canada: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, no computers, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council's approval. As a murderer, Casey isn't a good candidate, but she has something they want: She's a homicide detective, and Rockton has just had its first real murder. She and Diana are in. However, soon after arriving, Casey realizes that the identity of a murderer isn't the only secret Rockton is hiding--in fact, she starts to wonder if she and Diana might be in even more danger in Rockton than they were in their old lives.

An edgy, gripping crime novel from bestselling urban fantasy writer Kelley Armstrong, City of the Lost boldly announces a major new player in the crime fiction world.

Review Quotes

"This is a book that helped me fall in love with reading again and truly fall in love with thrillers for good!" -Bad on Paper

"[A] locked room mystery on steroids; readers should prepare for an all-nighter to finish it." --Booklist

"Excellent first in a new thriller series... A highly unusual set-up sets the stage for a distinctive cast of characters and a page-turning plot." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"One of the best new series debuts this year! With its compelling characters and completely original set up, Omens delivers a powerful combination of suspenseful thrills and supernatural chills. I can't wait to read more!"-Lisa Gardner on Omens

"Through a series of surprises and sleights of hand, [this book] had me conspiring for ways to get back to the gripping story, the colorfully bizarre cast of characters, and the clever, strong, smart heroine at its center."-Lisa Unger on Omens

"Fast-paced and mysterious."-USA Today on Visions

"The town of Rockton's strong, atmospheric presence will interest readers of Armstrong's Cainsville series and appeal to new readers, particularly fans of C.J. Box." --Library Journal

About the Author

KELLEY ARMSTRONG graduated with a degree in psychology and then studied computer programming. Now, she is a full-time writer and parent, and she lives with her husband and three children in rural Ontario, Canada. She is the author of City of the Lost, the first book in the Casey Duncan mystery series.