The Boy Who Cried Bear is the second book in the Haven's Rock series by Kelley Armstrong. A quick, fast-paced read, it jumps into the action from the start and you never know where it's going to end up.

We're back in Haven's Rock with Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton, where they've created an off-the-grid community. New to their little town is a family of three who are on the run from some bad people. The younger son Max, who is ten, is getting a little obsessed with the wilderness around them, learning everything he can from Dalton. Then he says he sees a Bear while out on a group hike, so Casey and Dalton start to investigate. In their search, they come upon their not-so-friendly neighbors, the miners. One of their men says he was attacked by a wild man in a bearskin hide. Now, it's up to them to figure out if there's a bear in their forest or a man, and when Max goes missing, it's a race against time to find their bear-man.

Bringing you in from the beginning, this was a quick read for me. You don't need to read Murder at Haven's Rock to read this, although I would highly suggest it, the book was great. There was just enough explanation of the background in this book to give a refresher of this isolated town. Well written with interesting and fully fleshed out characters, not everyone likes each other but they know they must work together in this small isolated town.

All in all, another great book from Kelley Armstrong. With a strong female main character, and a marriage that is a complete partnership, this is total girl power. If you enjoy Kelley's other books, then definitely give this series a try. I would recommend for fans of Christina Dodd, Anna Carlisle, or Heather Graham.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Minotaur_Books for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own. ( )

This was fantastic! I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s writing and the characters featured in the Rockton/Haven’s Rock series hold a special place in my heart. I know this is listed as the second book in the Haven’s Rock series, but that series is just a continuation of the Rockton series, so I would recommend starting there and reading the books in order if possible. You could probably get away with jumping right into this book but the whole series is great so you don’t want to miss it.

I was quickly pulled into this newest mystery and couldn’t wait to see how Eric and Casey would get to the bottom of things. A boy disappears from the hidden town of Haven’s Rock after claiming to have seen a bear in the woods. I love that this series always seems to keep me guessing and this book was no exception. It turned out that bears were not the scariest things in the wilderness surrounding the small town that Eric and Casey. There are some developments in this story for Eric and Casey that should play an important role in future installments that I am pretty excited about.

I usually read this series with my eyes but this time I listened to the audiobook and thought Therese Plummer did an excellent job with this story. This narrator has been one of my favorites for a very long time and this performance was up to her usual high standards. I felt like I was right there with Casey and Eric trying to find this boy in the woods. The voices that she used for the characters really brought the story to life and I thought that she added just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I am certain that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would highly recommend this series to others. I have found this series to be very smartly written with characters that feel like friends. Kelley Armstrong has earned a spot on my favorites shelf and I cannot wait to read more of her work.

I received a review copy of this book from Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio. ( )

Haven’s Rock is a new settlement in the Yukon. There are certain rules everyone needs to abide by. So, when ten year old Max goes missing, strange occurrences start happening and lots of people become suspect.

I have read the first in this series, Murder at Haven’s Rock. I don’t believe it is necessary to read this one first. But it does provide some background that is not in this second book.

As with the first book, I loved the setting of Alaska and, of course, I love Casey and her husband, Duncan. These two have a lot on their plate with this new settlement in the Yukon.

This story has a lot of twists and turns and definitely keeps the reader on their toes!

Need a good thriller with a great setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion ( )

Oh my gosh, I have been eagerly waiting for the second entry - The Boy Who Cried Bear - in Kelley Armstrong's Haven's Rock series.

Now, you could read the book as a stand alone, but you'd be missing some great tales in the books before this title.

What is Haven's Rock? It's a well-hidden town surrounded by forest, way up north in the Yukon. It's a refuge for those who need to disappear. Which opens the door to so many plots!

All of the favourite characters are back - notably Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton. The core group of supporting players are also back. But, there are some new faces as well. And for the first time, a child has been granted a place in the town.

Max is only ten. When he goes into the forest, he thinks he has seen a bear. But when he goes back to town and tells everyone that the bear had human eyes, he is told not to tell tales. Yeah, you can see where the plot is gong to go, right?

Here's the things that I love about this series. The plot is never a straight road, instead there are new ideas, events, deductions and more that change that road into a winding path to the final answers. I change my opinion on whodunit with each new revelation. I really enjoy how Casey and Dalton think things through, coming up with new avenues. They're adept in reading both people and the wilds. They're a couple in both work and at home. Their personal lives move forward with each book.

The idea of that town off the grid is somewhat tantalizing. What would it be like to walk away from it all? Armstrong gives us a look at her idea how it might look - and how it would function. There has to be some structure. And there will always be someone who says differently.

There's answers to the goings on in this latest, but the door is open for what's going to happen next. I can't wait!

I really like Armstrong's writing. Her books make for addictive reading. So, my advice would be to clear a day on your calendar, hunker down and make a visit to Haven's Rock.

An easy five stars! ( )

Haven’s Rock, the town founded to replace Rockton, is now up and running with Casey and her husband, Eric in charge. Many of the original inhabitants from Rockton are now settled in this new town as well as a few newcomers. Among the new families is a woman and her two children. The youngest, ten-year-old Max, has adapted very well to this new environment. Because of its isolation in the Yukon, hikes are conducted through the forest surrounding the town. On one of these hikes, Max spots what he thinks is a bear except he swears it has human eyes. Then a dead body is discovered and Max goes missing. The town is put on lockdown as Casey and Eric search for the lost boy with the aid of their dog, Storm.

The Boy Who Cried Bear is the second in the Haven’s Rock series and it is one hell of a page turner. It is well-plotted with the narration split between Casey and Max. There’s a great deal going on here with plenty of suspense, action, and twists and turns. It was fun to reunite with many of the old characters from Rockton as well as meeting new characters, both likeable and not, but all interesting and well fleshed out. There is a cliffhanger at the end but, honestly, I’m okay with that because it means there will soon be another addition to this series and I can’t wait to see where it takes us in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review ( )