“The Boy Who Cried Bear” is the second book in the Haven’s Rock series by Kelley Armstrong. Few mystery series have enthralled me as totally as these novels set in the Canadian Yukon wilderness, in a settlement so remote that there are no roads, no cell phone service, no internet, and limited electricity. The first series, the Rockton novels, ended after seven mysteries, but the main character, detective Casey Duncan, and her husband Eric, the sheriff of that settlement, weren’t finished in their mission of rescuing those who needed a safe place to hide. Haven’s Rock, which belongs to Casey and Eric, takes in those who are in danger and must flee for their lives.

Writing a series of mystery novels in which the setting becomes almost another main character, and keeping our interest by constantly presenting new characters while at the same time building on an overarching mystery that continues throughout the series, must be like juggling a dozen oranges and trying to keep them in the air all at once. Armstrong makes it seem effortless. In this novel, a woman and her two children move into Haven’s Rock. Their family was in the witness protection program, but they were found, the father was killed and the mother shot. They need the anonymity and distance that Haven’s Rock offers.

But when the youngest boy, ten-year-old Max, disappears, his mother Dana starts to mistrust everyone in the settlement. Other new arrivals seem to cause friction and cast doubts on the ability of Casey and Eric to find Max. There’s also the problem of the mining operation that started up after Casey and Eric began building Haven’s Rock in what they thought was the perfect, secluded, remote location. Haven’s Rock has its core group of trusted staff who came from Rockton, and Casey and Eric have their intrepid, adorable, tracking dog, Storm. But will that be enough to keep everyone safe in this new place?

They must solve the mystery behind Max’s disappearance. Eric had been teaching the boy about tracking and the wilderness around them. Max said that he saw a bear while on a nature walk with other residents, but he also insisted that, strangely, the bear had human eyes. Is there an aggressive grizzly bear, and is it responsible for Max’s disappearance? When the miners share that there was a report of a crazy feral man, they have to wonder if that person kidnapped Max. Or is it someone from town who acted that way to dispel any suspicion of the townspeople?

There’s a lot to consider, including many red herrings, and in addition to the problems created by Max’s disappearance, Casey has troubles of her own that are related to an attack she endured years before. It’s that attack that led to her accepting a job at Rockton in the first series, and she’s still experiencing repercussions from that brutal attack.

Don’t think you need to start this series back with the first book in the first series, City of the Lost. Another magic trick Armstrong performs is that she provides the perfect amount of background information in each novel so that it can work as a stand alone read. But really, there’s so much character development that goes on, and the stories are all so intertwined and interesting, why not start at the beginning? At least the beginning of this series, “Murder at Haven’s Rock.” Armstrong herself suggests doing just that, so we don’t miss any of the backstory in this new series.

This new “town” is going to take us on quite an exciting ride, so get in at the start and buckle up. Armstrong is sure to provide many wild animals, strange residents, adorable dog antics, and finally, of course, many murders to solve.

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.