Murder at Haven’s Rock | Review

The day before Thanksgiving, I was celebrating and connecting with family when I got an email notification. In the email, I was invited to read Murder at Haven’s Rock months before it became available to the public. Literally, within the hour, I downloaded it and started reading. I was so excited reading this book, and I hope you enjoy it too!

Welcome!

Hi! I’m Emily Campbell. I’m a full-time mom of two young kids and a reader extraordinaire. I built this blog to be a resource for readers wanting to know what is in their books. So many times, I’ve picked up the latest and greatest on a book list only to be disappointed with the amount of language, graphic violence, or inappropriate sexual content. 

I love reading, but I also try to be selective of what media consume. Plenty of parts in books do not need a permanent place in my mind. The Book Nanny is here to help you look inside your book. I break down the language, violence, and adult content so you can enjoy the reading process instead of getting an unpleasant surprise. 

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you click on a link and decide to buy something, I will make a commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.

Synopsis of Murder at Haven’s Rock

Casey Butler and her husband are back at solving murders and figuring out motives, but now they are in their new home Haven’s Rock. Haven’s Rock has one rule: stay out of the forest.

They show up to find two missing people but instead find a woman who was murdered. How many people really get murdered in the middle of nowhere? More than you would assume. 

Murder at Haven’s Rock Content Guide

Violence: There are a few standoffs at gunpoint. Autopsy and discussions of fatal injuries. All deaths in front of others aren’t very descriptive or accidental.

Language: Damn 51, shit 53, fuck 15, hell 47; 47% of pages have vulgar language.

Adult content: Mention of adult relationships and some adult scenes are implied but nothing descriptive. Everything cuts to waking up later. No nudity. 

Setting up the book

Murder at Haven’s Rock is a crime scene procedural mixed with a survival element. Haven’s Rock is a new secret refuge that detective Casey and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton are creating. It is supposed to be everything that their past home was not. They hired a construction crew to literally build an entire town in the middle of the Canadian Yukon territory. The only way in or out is on a bush plane, and there are no signs of civilization anywhere. Just what the Daltons want. 

They are brought to town a few weeks early because someone decided to not follow the number 1 rule, well, the only rule. Don’t go into the forest. When a dead body turns up, things start to go sideways, and now Casey and Eric are faced with making hard decisions that will affect their new home forever.

The Rockton Series

If this sounds intriguing, you should start with the seven-book Rockton series where Casey and Eric meet. The first book, City of the Lost, tells the story of how Casey ends up in Rockton. A city off the grid in the Yukon. 

They take in people who want to shed their old lives and start over somewhere new where no one can find them. Part of getting there is an extensive background check and having a valuable occupation to add to their society. Casey isn’t sure how useful being a homicide detective with a secret will be in the Yukon, but she needs to hide now. After Rockton’s first homicide, Casey is brought in to find the murderer. She happens to uncover a few mysteries along the way.

You don’t need to read the Rockton series before starting Murder at Haven’s Rock, but I strongly recommend it. Kelley does a great job of reintroducing the characters. There is only so much background she can provide without taking away from the story, especially when the characters have a seven-book backstory together.

Language Warning

The Rockton Series and Murder at Haven’s Rock will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire time. However, a few caveats are stopping me from recommending this to all of my friends. There is quite a bit of language. Eric loves swearing to express his emotions, especially when under stress. Which is all the time… About half of the pages in the book contain swear words. The f-word is one of his favorites to use. Think of him as a sheriff/mountain man who is a little rough around the edges with a heart of gold, but who you really don’t want to be on his bad side. 

Violence & Gore

Since Murder at Haven’s Rock and the Rockton books are crime scene procedurals, there are some gory moments, and potentially triggering moments. From people being held at gunpoint, kidnapping, being held hostage, and more. I can’t tell you all the crazy things that happen in these books, because there is so much happening! And I don’t want to spoil the story for you. If you like shows like NCIS, or Bones you are going to love these! I don’t recommend them for middle schoolers or young children. 

Any Adult Content?

In the original Rockton series, there are easily skippable adult scenes. These don’t come until a few books in. There are no adult scenes in Murder at Haven’s Rock. There is a point where things start to get heated, but then it cuts away to the morning after.

I really appreciate how Armstrong handled the adult content in this book. She gave us just enough so we get a peek into Eric and Casey’s relationship but not too much, where I know all their bedroom habits.

Overall thoughts of Murder at Haven’s Rock

I really liked this book. It sucked me in with Kelley’s typical style. Anyone who loves her Rockton novels will love her new series Haven’s Rock with its own challenges. There are a few new characters but plenty of old favorites. This is setting up a series with new challenges. These challenges will be different from the ones in Rockton. Already, I can’t wait for the next book to see how they deal with the cliffhanger from the final chapters. 

When I reached the end, I kept trying to turn the page to the next chapter. It completely threw me that Kelley ended the book how she did. Murder at Haven’s Rock kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last word. I just wanted more. I hope she has already started on the second book because this first one is going to sell like crazy.

When does it come out, and how can I get a copy?

Murder at Haven’s Rock will be released on February 21st, 2023. You can pre-order your copies on Amazon or where ever books are sold. If you decide to pre-order a Kindle copy, it will automatically be delivered to your device library on the 21st. If you want to read the Hardback copy on release day, you have to pay more for pre-shipping. Otherwise, it will ship as soon as Amazon can fulfill the order. The Kindle version, Hardback, and Audiobook will be released on February 21st. But if you want a paperback copy, you will have to wait until December 2023. Currently, Murder at Haven’s Rock is not available on Kindle Unlimited, and I don’t think it will be. None of her other books have been on Kindle Unlimited. However, you can get a copy of the Audiobook through Audible.

Guess what?? If you try out the Audible premium plus trial you can get two free audiobooks. Like Murder at Haven’s Rock!

Should I get Murder at Haven’s Rock?

I am a big fan of this book, but I’m also a sucker for a great crime scene procedural! So if it sounds interesting, and you are a fan of her other books, I would go for it. Remember that Murder at Haven’s Rock is for adults (or older teens) and has quite a bit of language along with the description of a few crime scenes. If you are a fan of Stalking Jack the Ripper or The Naturals, this is right up your alley!

What did you think of this book? Have any questions? Leave a comment down below or email me.

Happy Reading!