Review: City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong
Reviews / May 3, 2016

City of the Lost is the first book in a new series from Canadian mega-author Kelley Armstrong; unlike the majority of Armstrong’s works, this book is a thriller without any obvious speculative elements. Set in the northernmost territory of Canada, the horror in City of the Lost comes not from the supernatural, but from the horrors people will commit when removed from the constraints of civilization. To save her best friend Diana and escape her troubled past, homicide detective Casey Duncan agrees to an insane proposition: in exchange for her crime-solving skills (and a “small” fee, of course) Casey and Diana will be erased, disappearing from society into an off-the-map settlement called Rockton. A community of approximately 200 people, Rockton is a safe haven for those who need to escape. With no internet access, no electricity, and no marked location, Rockton truly is the city of the lost. The setting of City of the Lost is so crucial to the story that it’s almost a character unto itself. Inspired by a family vacation Armstrong took to the Yukon, this novel showcases Canada’s stark northern beauty. Surrounded by the tundra and boreal forests, Rockton is a cross between a frontier town…