This rather short list makes it look like I didn’t read much in June, but I did. I had some misfires (as you can see), and I read quite a few things that I didn’t think were worth recommending. And then there’s Kelley Armstrong…
I binged the Kelley Armstrong Rockton/Haven’s Rock series until I caught up. The next (final?) book will be released in February and is already on preorder. You’ll find a lot of recommendations here, even though she forced me to read a pet-in-jeopardy novel, a child-in-jeopardy novel, and something that I did not expect at all and it upset me and I couldn’t stop reading… I guess Kelley Armstrong has moved into Stephen King territory for me, which means I’ll forgive her almost anything. It also means she is never, ever, ever going to be bedtime reading.
I did pick up the latest novel by an author I’ve read since the beginning of her career. Over time, my reading of her work dropped away from reading everything to reading some things. Her actual series didn’t really work for me—I used it as airplane reading in the 1990s and left the finished paperbacks on the plane for someone else—and then some of her other books stopped being to my taste, mostly when she added fantasy. (The fantasy was usually plebeian and my years at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction ruined my tolerance for mediocre fantasy.) I’d been struggling with her romantic suspense novels—some worked and some didn’t—and the last four or five were just dull, which I consider to be a sin in a suspense novel. I preordered the newest suspense book, as was my bent, and discovered a protagonist too stupid to live. Seriously. She made very bad choices for unconvincing reasons. I gave up after 44 pages and realized that I’m done with this author. I’d given her more than my usual number of bad (to me) books, and I am (sadly) moving on. Some of her early works really influenced me and I’ll be forever grateful, but I’m done reading her work. It doesn’t speak to me anymore.
I also gave up on a novel by another long-time favorite author of mine, but I was much more forgiving here. He occasionally commits saga, covering decades in a relatively dry (and wry) voice. Sometimes it works for me; sometimes it bores me. I’ve tried to read this book twice and faded out both times—one when the book first appeared four years ago now.
And I finished Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series. The final book wrapped up loose ends, but I’m not recommending it, since it was a bit of a slog for me. I only mention it because I’ve recommended every other book in the series and you might see the lack. The series is absolutely worth reading and many of you might think the last book is the best. It might be a matter of personal taste as to whether or not it works for you.
However, you’ll find a few fun things in this particular recommended reading list. And, as I said, a lot of Kelley Armstrong.
June 2026
Armstrong, Kelley, The Boy Who Cried Bear, Minotaur Books, 2024. This is the second book in the Haven’s Rock series. I recommend you read the Rockton series and the first book in the new series before picking this one up. I went into it fully committed to the series and knowing that this book was about a missing child. However, the kid was ten and there were sections from his point of view. Of course, me being me, I checked a few things before launching into the book. You may not need to. The other piece of information that you might want is this: I read this book overnight. Sigh. Breaking all my rules… Yes, I loved it.
Armstrong, Kelley, Cold as Hell, Minotaur Books, 2025. This book pissed me off for all the right reasons. It violates one of my biggest reading rules. It involves something that I never read for enjoyment. Yet, there I was in mid-June, turning pages so fast that I could hardly see the words. The scene in question is utterly stupid and completely gripping and I didn’t believe it for a minute, but I absolutely positively had to know what happened next. That is the mark of an amazing writer. And I’m still pissed that I read the scene. And bought the next book. And will continue to buy her books. Just to annoy myself. (This is book three. Do not start here.)
Armstrong, Kelley, The First Sign of Danger, Minotaur Books, 2026. I’m a little peeved. This is the penultimate Haven’s Rock novel, and the only one that’s currently available. (I have the final book on preorder.) There’ve been villains lurking throughout this series, and Armstrong finally deals with them here. I gobbled this book up in less than 24 hours.
Armstrong, Kelley, Murder at Haven’s Rock, Minotaur Books, 2023. This is book one of the “new” series, which is really just a continuation of the old series. But, I suspect, after writing into the dark, Armstrong let someone name the previous series after the town. Or maybe she did. Anyway, that town is gone, for reasons left out to avoid spoilers, and now we have Haven’s Rock, which is being built as this story starts. Because the Yukon is always filled with scary things and scary people and (maybe) serial killers which is (apparently) a joke I was unaware of, there is a murder before the town even gets its first permanent residents. The mystery is good, the book is unputdownable, and I like these characters. So I binged. I suspect you will too.
Feinberg, Scott, “Paul Williams Has Something To Say,” The Hollywood Reporter, April 8, 2026. I thought I knew a lot about Paul Williams, the composer, and it turns out I knew nearly nothing. I had no idea that he had quit music for a number of years, and was lured back into it. And there are a lot of other interesting tidbits in this short interview. Many of you know that I like articles about longevity in the arts, and this is a good example of that.
Rose, Lacey, “The Late Great Stephen Colbert,” The Hollywood Reporter, May 6, 2026. This is Stephen Colbert’s “exit” interview, and it’s fascinating. It looks at his longevity, his willingness to experiment, the political fallout, and a lot more. Really worth the read.
I was intrigued about Kelley Armstrong based on your post. However, looking her up I see a pattern here that I’ve experienced before and have an instant negative reaction to. That is the sheer, ludicrous volume of her output. By a quick count she’s published 45 books since 2020. My knee jerk reaction is (1) I don’t believe for a minute that she is the one that actually wrote all those books and (2) I lose all interest, despite any sincere recommendations of quality, of jumping into this pool. How does one write 45 quality books in 6 years? Interested in your perspective and insight.
I am not sure where you got that information, Dan. Kelley Armstrong published her first novel in 2001 and has been around for a very long time. Maybe you’re counting reissues, short stories, and novellas?
Nonetheless, your assumption that someone who writes fast is terrible is a sad one. You must have learned this from professors and critics. It’s a strange prejudice that only exists in writing. Musicians practice every day. Many of them perform every night. Athletes practice every day, and often play several games per week. Artists work steadily on their craft.
Writing is a craft that employs muscles to do well. The only way to use a muscle is to exercise it regularly.
Let’s pretend for a moment that your number is correct. Even if she wrote 45 books in 6 years, that meant she was writing 7.5 books per year. If they’re 100,000 word books, then she’s writing 750,000 words per year. That translates to 14,423 words per week or 2,000 words per day. Most people write more than 2,000 words in email every day.
You might want to pick up Dean Wesley Smith’s Writing Into The Dark to understand why writing a lot is essential to writing well. Here’s the link: https://wmgbooks.com/collections/new-releases/products/preorder-advanced-writing-into-the-dark-2026-available-7-21-2026
Thank you for your insight! That count came from looking at her bibliography on Fantastic Fiction and Wikipedia. I know neither site is infallible, but it didn’t seem to be reissues; perhaps some were novellas. And btw, I definitely don’t assume fast writers = bad writing. I am a huge fan of the old pulp writers who wrote a million words a year to make a living. But that number of full length novels in such a short period has always made me wonder. Thanks for responding!
Dip into her fiction and see if you like it. How she wrote it shouldn’t impact whether or not you enjoy it. The books are good.
I second the Rockton/Haven’s Rock series! So bingeable. And yes, despite the stupid scene, I couldn’t stop reading either.
I think I know who you’re talking about re: the other suspense author. I liked the one last year, but previous years and this year left me cold (and the book unfinished). Oh well.
I always enjoy these write-ups. Thank you!