A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minatour Books
Date of publication: February 2017

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.


If you are considering reading A Darkness Absolute without reading the first book, City of the Lost, I would tell you not to.  A Darkness Absolute does not hold up well as a stand alone.  The story makes an assumption that you read the first book and doesn't offer much in the way of explanation for the town and why they are there.  It also assumes you already know the background behind a lot of the characters.  Reading this one first would also create a lot of spoilers for the first book.

Having said all of that, I did end up enjoying this second book.  I liked it slightly more than the first one.  It was a little slow at times and probably could have been shorter. But overall I felt the mystery was pretty solid.  I enjoyed watching Casey and Eric's relationship develop into a much more intimate one.  Eric was really cute at times in his awkwardness.  The one thing I didn't like about the book was the ending.  It was pretty abrupt and that was frustrating as I wanted more.   I am hoping it means that there will be a third book featuring this town and characters.