I really like Kelley Armstrong's writing style so I was pretty sure I'd like "City Of The Lost". Boy, was I right. In fact, I'm starting my own new rating just for this book. I am lucky that I read many really good authors so it's not surprising that I give about half of the books I read a five star rating. But now I'm starting a personal new category, the Five PLUS rating, just for books like this.
Definition: 5+ rating
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That designation starts with "City Of The Lost". It's been a whole twenty-four hours now and still I find myself wishing there were more pages to read, I want MORE. I can't seem to stop thinking that I can go read a little more about these characters, get my fix and I'll be ok. But, alas, there is no more, I finished the last page last night and with the light of the morning I am sad. IT'S OVER!!! I want to know what's next for these characters, I don't even care if the mystery is solved. I just want to "hang out" with these people. *Sigh*. I wish I could beg the author to write more, just for me. Let me give you a synopsis of what the book's about.
Casey Duncan is an excellent police detective but she carries a secret with her, she killed a man and got away with it. When she was a cadet in training she killed her mob connected drug dealing boyfriend, she has held all the guilt and shame of that incident in but now her past has caught up with her. Even worse, her best friend Diana is having trouble with her ex-husband again. He has stalked her before and even though Casey has tried to hide Diana and keep her safe, it seems he has found her. They both have to run for their lives and Diana has heard of just the place, a town where people can purchase their anonymity for five thousand dollars as long as they're prepared to live off the grid in the middle of nowhere. There's a town in the Yukon Territories where desperate individuals can find sanctuary and get away from the dangers in their real lives. Casey finds that they could use her skills. When one puts a hoard of desperate people together in a small town unconnected to the outside world, one can expect trouble.
I need to make you read this book. The characters were so darn dimensional and meaty. I really did sink my proverbial teeth into these characters and as the reader I found myself wanting to hang out with them. I found all the dialogue so well wrought and believable, there were no miss steps. And talking of miss steps, Armstrong doesn't make a single mistake when describing the surroundings of the little town on the edge of nowhere. The author could have inundated us with unnecessary atmospheric details but instead she gave us just what was necessary and enticing. I became as curious as Casey did about the town's surroundings, the forest, it's dangers and the animals that inhabit it. I loved that I wasn't left thinking that I wish the author had edited herself a little more. It was a perfect read and I'm well sated after devouring a truly delicious book. But just like chocolate chip cookies, I wish there were more.
Best,