A big draw of Kelley Armstrong's Rockton and Haven’s Rock series is the frigid Yukon setting. The books take place in small settlements that were created as sanctuaries for those desperate to hide from their "normal" lives for a few years. Some of those fleeing to safety in the Yukon include financial victims, people who testified against cartels and can't be kept safe, and those escaping abusive spouses.

Casey Butler’s first-person narrative makes these novels quick reading as we follow her life from her first flight to the Yukon at the beginning of the Rockton series to be the town's detective, to her current life in Haven's Rock, as she and sheriff/husband Eric Dalton work to keep the residents safe and their baby happy.

FIRST SIGN OF DANGER opens with Casey, Eric and their child outside the settlement for a walk when they encounter a woman who asks for help for her injured husband. That's odd because they’re in the middle of the wilderness, far from towns or other settlements. The existence of Haven's Rock must be kept a secret, so Casey and Eric don't like when strangers are around.

"Armstrong's fabulous writing and plotting make FIRST SIGN OF DANGER not only a marvelous mystery, but one that moves the story arc of the series forward to its near conclusion."

There already has been friction with the mining camp, which is set up much too close to Haven's Rock for Casey and Eric's comfort. They have encountered the miners and guards, all of whom have been quite unfriendly, and there have been deaths. They have worked out a coexistence treaty of sorts, but Casey does not trust them at all. And when they find the woman's husband, who has been murdered, the tension rises.

Armstrong lives at least part of the year in the Yukon. Her description of the surrounding forests, mountains, caves, ice-cold creeks and the lake help readers picture the wilderness in all its majestic glory and frightening danger. She is able to describe authentically what it feels like to encounter a hungry grizzly bear and other hazards that lurk in the forest. Of course, in these novels, the biggest threats are usually not from wild animals, but from perhaps the most terrifying predator: humans.

In addition to solving the murders, reading these books allows us to feel as if we are part of the community and invested in Casey's life as she moves from detective to girlfriend, wife and mother over the course of the two series. Now in Haven's Rock, there have been additions to the town, and they bring different problems and new friendships. Casey's spot-on detective skills are important in this installment as she learns more about the mining camp and their possible connection to the homicides. But is the danger only from outside the camp? Are any of the residents involved?

While it's not yet winter in the Yukon, the autumn air is biting. Prepare for a chilling adventure as bodies are unearthed, and grizzlies are confronted. But when past enemies are determined to interfere with Haven's Rock, to what lengths will Casey and Eric have to resort?

Armstrong's fabulous writing and plotting make FIRST SIGN OF DANGER not only a marvelous mystery, but one that moves the story arc of the series forward to its near conclusion. Until then, let's enjoy watching Casey do what she does best --- protect her family and the town as she works for justice.