BATTLE MOUNTAIN

5 stars out of 5

Long a favorite series of mine - this is the 25th installment - this one puts Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett in more of a background role, centering more on his falconer buddy Nate Romanowski. After Nate got married and had a daughter, he put his raptor talents up for sale in a legitimate business - aided by Sheridan Pickett, daughter of Joe and his wife Marybeth. But Nate's situation changed dramatically in the previous book (what happened I won't say to spoil things for those who haven't read it), and he turned the business over to Sheridan, his daughter Kestral over to Joe and Marybeth and once again headed off the grid. 

Actually, Nate is out to find Axel Soledad, the man responsible for his troubles and return to the wild. As it turns out, Nate wasn't the only one hurt by the guy, though; his friend Geronimo Jones is also on the hunt. So, they team up, hoping to eliminate Alex outright - or at least render him incapable of harming anyone else.

As their quest gets under way, Joe's is just beginning; his old friend, once again the governor of Wyoming, calls him in to ask a favor. His son-in-law, it seems, went off on some kind of elk-hunting expedition and seems to have gone missing. To avoid worrying his daughter and aggravating his wife for recommending the excursion, the governor wants Joe to track him down on the Q.T.

The story follows both search efforts (mostly those of Nate and Geronimo), until - no surprise here - they begin to merge. Of course, everything takes place in remote places, where cell phone coverage is spotty at best and not watching where your feet are going can prove dangerous (as can some nasty folks with powerful weapons and no qualms at all about who they're pointed at). All told, it's an exciting adventure with a few edge-of-seat moments and an ending that promises fodder for the next installment - to which, of course, I'm looking forward. For now, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Battle Mountain by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, February 2025); 368 pp.

THREE-INCH TEETH

5 stars out of 5

For sure, this is one of the most violent and dark of the books in this series that I've read - this is the 24th, and I'm pretty sure I haven't missed any of them. But it all comes together to make this one hard to put down as well as introduces possibilities for new and exciting directions to come.

Early on, trouble shows its ugly face in the form of a gigantic grizzly bear - an animal not common to the Wyoming territory served by game warden Joe Pickett. The bear has its deadly way with the son of a local landowner, instilling fear in the community and sparking efforts to find the critter before it finds another victim. Concurrently, readers learn that Joe's old nemesis, former champion rodeo rider Dallas Cates, has been released from prison. Apparently, he's gathered some followers who share his mindset and formulated a plan to get even with all the folks who've wronged him over the years, with Joe and his good friend Nate Romanowski at the top of the list. Nate is, shall we say, a rugged individualist and falconer who now owns a professional bird abatement company that employs Joe's daughter Sheridan, a master falconer in her own right.

The motive of Dallas's gang may be clear, but their method is nothing short of unorthodox - not to mention confusing, given the flurry of grizzly bear activity of late. Meantime, Nate sends Sheridan to handle a big bird problem at a client's farm, where she gets an unexpected revelation that will give Joe and his wife, local library director Marybeth, reason for even more concern.

Chapters flip back and forth among the various scenarios - Joe and his crew trying to find the errant grizzly before it strikes again, Dallas and his buddies working their way down his list of victims and Sheridan's experiences on the bird rout. It's all fast-paced, right up to the end - when it gets downright frantic (not to mention sad). In fact, it was so abrupt that it felt sort of like somebody smacked me in the brain and ran away before I could catch my breath and ask the questions that immediately came to mind.

Oh well, as I said before, I expect to get some answers with the next book - which hopefully will come sooner rather than later. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity once again to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. 

Three-Inch Teeth by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, February 2024); 384 pp.

STORM WATCH

5 stars out of 5

Pick a hot-button topic: Cybercurrency mining. Survivalists hoping to overthrow the government. Conspiracy theories. Politicians with questionable campaign donors. Chinese interference. You'll find 'em all in here. And caught smack dab in the middle are Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett and his falcon-loving, former fugitive-from-justice friend Nate Romanowski.

The whole thing begins as Joe is looking for a wounded elk that needs to be put out of her misery and seems to be wandering around on a friend's remote property. Mission accomplished, but in the process Joe comes across something a bit more worrisome: a dead body half in, half out of a building from which strange sounds are emanating. The friend is evasive, and the subsequent identification of the body brings more questions than answers.

Meantime, as Nate is dealing with burgeoning demand for his bird abatement business, he's approached by a shady guy who wants him to join a group of men who, like Nate, don't trust the government - but who want to kick their distrust up more than a few notches. Given his background, Nate is willing to listen - but will he jump in knowing the guns may come out?

In the midst of this is the weather - snow deep enough to bring a several-ton plow to its knees - and a state governor who's power hungry, itching to get reelected and decidedly not a fan of Joe, who was aligned with the previous governor who just might decide to run again. All told, once the action gears up it's full speed ahead right up to an ending that probably has more potential to go wrong than right - and the whole thing held my attention throughout. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review another of the books in one of my favorite series. Well done!

Storm Watch by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, February 2023); 368 pp.

SHADOWS REEL

4 stars out of 5

Dark and heavy on politics, this - the 22nd in the series featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, his family and longtime friend and falconer Nate Romanowski - is a noticeable departure from the usual fare. Don't misunderstand - I enjoyed it immensely, as I did all that came before it. That said, I'm hoping it's not setting a trend for future installments.

Theme One: It's almost Thanksgiving, and Joe's wife Marybeth, director of the town library, is looking forward to having their three daughters at their relatively new home for the holiday. As she's clearing the decks to leave, she sees an unkempt man leave a package on the library steps. When she opens it, she finds a worn photo album that apparently belonged to a high-ranking Nazi officer. Another thing soon becomes apparent: a couple of nasty guys named Viktor and Laslo are determined to get it back.

Theme Two: Joe fields a call about moose-poaching - an out-of-season no-no that makes his blood boil. It turns chilling, though, when he discovers that the dead moose is human - clearly tortured, burned and tossed over a fence on a remote property. Turns out he's a local fishing guide with not much money and no known enemies, so why on earth would anyone want to kill him?

Theme Three: In a previous book, Nate's wife Liv and young daughter Kestral were seriously roughed up, after which the attacker killed a couple of Nate's falcons and stole the rest. The time and expertise it took to train them notwithstanding, the loss of the birds threatens Nate's hard-won livelihood and now he's off not only to get payback for hurting his wife and daughter, but to bring his prized falcons back to their mews.

As might be expected, chapters follow the progress of each scenario to let readers know what's really going on as well as how or if they're all somehow connected. I won't reveal details, but I will say that Nate's adventures evolve into a scenario ripped from the headlines complete with politically-laced explanations that border on diatribes. That Nate dragged Joe into the mix was even more disheartening, even more so since I'm still not sure why that was necessary. 

Still, everything came together well, and I very much enjoyed the historical information that accompanied the photo album scenario (it was, the author says in the acknowledgements, based on facts). And just for my own amusement, I'll also mention something that gave me a guffaw many years ago and again here: At one point, the dialog reads, "Shut up!" Viktor explained. Flash back to the mention of a book in a long-ago issue of Writer's Digest; written by William Noble and subtitled "A Guide to the Uses and Misuses of Dialogue." The title was Shut UP!" He Explained. As a professional writer and editor who often dealt with such idiocies, I thought at the time it was the funniest, yet most appropriate, book titles I'd ever heard of. I have no idea whether the author of this book used the comment intentionally, but it was a hoot to see it again.

Shadows Reel by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2022); 366 pp.

DARK SKY

 5 stars out of 5

This is the 21st book featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, and I don't think I've missed a single one. This one, happily, came as a pre-release copy through NetGalley, thank you very much - and even though I diligently go through my stack of to-be-reviewed books in order of publication date, it took me all of 30 seconds to move this one to the top of the list. And I think it's one of the best in the series.

In large part, that's because it's more of a plain old, relatively uncomplicated story that's fast-paced and easy to follow. There are two parallel plots, the first of which puts Joe in charge (albeit reluctantly) of an elk posse for the edification of a spoiled Steve Jobs wannabe who wants to get in touch with his back-to-nature feelings. Knowing he could lose his job if he passes on the assignment (and that the same is true if something goes awry), Joe grabs his winter gear, takes a deep breath and sets off.

No surprise: Something goes awry. This time, it's a guy who has an axe to grind against the tech CEO and who will do anything to take him out of commission permanently. That, in turn, ends up with Joe and the CEO with no weapons, no communication devices and fighting to stay alive in the mountain wilds with snow - and a potential killer - at just about every turn.

Meanwhile, Joe's former special forces friend, Nate Romanowski, has troubles of his own. Joe's daughter Sheridan, who's in training with Nate to learn the art of falconry, discovers empty nests that indicate there's a raptor thief at work. Incensed, Nate sets out to find the culprit and - just like the guy and the tech CEO - do anything to take him out of commission permanently.

Another no surprise: The two plots come together - but not before both keep readers on the edge of their seats. And the end, while satisfying, isn't complete; there's at least one wrong still to be righted, which presumably will happen in the next installment. As always, I look forward to reading it!

Dark Sky by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2021); 368 pp.

LONG RANGE

4 stars out of 5

This is the 20th book featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, and I've read them all. Over the years, I've watched his daughters grow up, his wife grow into a career woman in her own right, his nasty mother-in-law keep trying her best to break up his marriage and his good friend and falconer Nate Romanowski go from fugitive to business owner and law-abiding citizen (well, for the most part). The daughters don't make more than cameo appearances here - they've flown the nest, after all - but the others do more than their share to keep the story interesting.

As this one opens, Joe is out looking for a guide reportedly mauled by a grizzly bear, but he gets called back in when the wife of a prominent (and curmudgeonly) local judge is shot and in critical condition. Logically, everyone thinks the bullet was meant for the judge; but the reality is that it came from such a great distance that no one knows for sure - and wonders who on earth would be capable of making the shot. Complicating matters is that the relatively new sheriff suffers from severe incompetency, but he's such a hothead that no one dares call him on it (at least not to his face).

Nate, who is trying hard to remain on the straight and narrow now that he's got a wife and new baby, learns that someone from his past is out to get him. But he may have a better chance of avoiding getting shot than getting arrested; it doesn't take long before evidence suggests that Nate is the one who shot the judge's wife. Meanwhile, the real sniper isn't backing down, taking a shot at Joe while he's still on the loose. That's music to the ears of Missy, Joe's mother-in-law, who has shady dealings of her own on the line and doesn't want Joe to get in the way.

Another enjoyable story that held my attention - and for the most part kept me guessing - all the way through.

Long Range by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2020); 367 pp.

WOLF PACK

5 stars out of 5

This is the 19th in the author's series featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, and having read them all, it's one of the best, I think. Granted, it leans a bit more toward the dark side with some really nasty characters, but the story was so intriguing - and moved along so quickly - that I kept pushing to get to the conclusion as fast as I could.

After losing his job at the conclusion of the previous book, Joe is back in the saddle again, this time out in the wilds investigating leg hold traps that have been set but not retrieved - a no-no in this territory where wild animals are supposed to roam free. Usually, it's not easy to determine who the traps belong to, but in this case, the owner's initials are on the trap. Before he can do much about it, though, he's called by another nearby ranger, Katelyn Hamm, who has spotted a drone swooping down and scaring the bejesus out of herds of deer.

As it turns out, the drone belongs to the grandfather of the young man Joe's daughter Lucy is dating (she's the last of the three daughters still in the cozy nest of Joe and his librarian wife, Marybeth). Even Joe's old friend Nate Romanowski gets in on the action; an experienced falconer and outdoorsman with a shady past, he watches until the next time the drone takes to the skies, encourages his birds to do likewise (with a bang-up result).

But when Joe finally locates the old man in a remote hideaway that doesn't even show up on his GPS, the reception is far from cordial. Confounding matters is that when he and Kate start to take steps that would charge the old guy with breaking the law, the law inexplicably fights back. That sets Joe to wondering: Why on earth is the FBI protecting the man?

Meanwhile, four extremely skilled killers - three men and a woman - start showing up in the area, and dead bodies start showing up as well. It's thought that the killers, dubbed the Wolf Pack, are working for a cartel - apparently trying to find the old man who's in the Witness Protection program to keep him safe until he can testify against other cartel bigwigs.

Needless to say, Joe isn't one to back down; but all too soon, he discovers that putting himself in between the killers and their intended prey might not be the smartest thing he's ever done - and it could even cost him, and his family and friends, their lives. Bodies keep piling up right to the exciting end (which, of course, I won't reveal). All I'll say is this one is a don't-miss, especially for diehard followers like me. Well done! 

Wolf Pack by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2019); 384 pp.

COURT OF LIES

4.5 stars out of 5



If you're a lover of courtroom mystery/thrillers as I am, don't miss this one. Although it's rare for me to "compare" one author's book with another's - I don't think it's fair to either writer - I must say that throughout most of this book it felt as if I were channeling John Grisham.

Most of the story happens in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the mid-1950s. Local Judge John Murray learns that Lillian Adams, who has been like a daughter to him and his wife of many years, Betsy, has been charged with the murder of her wealthy husband. Lillian, who has a history of disruptive behavior (and worse), had gunpowder residue on her hands and her late husband's blood on her clothing. 

Despite the fact that he could recuse himself because of his prior association with Lillian, Murray insists on presiding at the trial. In large part, that's because the prosecutor, Haskins Sewell, is a long-time adversary who not only has his sights set on the judge's job, but is a man who will resort to shady courtroom tactics to get a win. In his heart of hearts, though, Murray hopes he can somehow turn the tide of jury favor toward a verdict of not guilty; but in his very honest head, he worries it won't be possible unless he employs some of the same underhanded tactics as the prosecutor. It helps a bit that another of the judge's friends is the defense attorney, who also wants to do everything he can to get Lillian off (and who, like the judge, detests the prosecutor).

At issue is a mysteriously appearing suicide note and suspicious blood trails, the boatload of money Lillian stands to inherit at her husband's death and Lillian's disturbed daughter Tina, who may well have had a motive (albeit misguided) to kill her stepfather. Throw all this in the mix with three legal professionals who hate each other, and you've got a whale of a well-written tale for which I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Court of Lies by Gerry Spence (Forge Books, February 2019); 346 pp.

THE DISAPPEARED

5 stars out of 5


I do not like them, Sam I am: Cliffhangers, I mean. Not even when they happen in a favorite series and, Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I have every intention of reading the next one. But that aside, I quite enjoyed this one (as I expected I would).

As I've mentioned in other reviews, my interest in the series originated way back when because I share the surname of the central character, Joe Pickett, a Wyoming game warden. From that point on, though, I've kept reading simply because the books are so good - and this one's no exception despite the no-ending ending.

In recent previous books (for the record, this is the 18th), Joe served as a sort of covert investigator at the pleasure of the governor. But now, there's a new gov in town, and when he, too, asks for help - this time in finding a high-flying British company owner who's disappeared months ago from an upscale vacation ranch - Joe can't help but wonder if there's more to the story than meets his ears. When Joe learns that his eldest daughter, Sheridan, works at the ranch, though, he figures she might have some inside information and agrees to take on the assignment (not that he really had a choice in the matter). Compounding the issue is that the game warden for the territory in which the ranch is located has gone missing as well.

As if all that weren't enough, Joe is contacted by his old friend, top-notch falconer Nate Romanowski, who for the most part has shed his ne'er-do-well activities of the past and is playing nice with the powers-that-be. But Nate still doesn't trust the feds - he's especially wary of an enormous, government-subsidized wind turbine farm that's under construction not far from the ranch. For the moment, though, he's looking for Joe's help with lifting a ban on falconers who have permits to hunt with eagles but are not allowed to do so. Something untoward is going on, Nate insists, and he wants Joe to find out what it is and who's behind it.

Joe gets a hearty welcome from local law enforcement, but from others, not so much; almost immediately, he has a run-in with a couple of shady characters, and not long thereafter, his hotel room is ransacked and the file on the missing British woman does a disappearing act. Joe's curiosity is further piqued when he notices missing files at the former game warden's cabin; who would have taken them and why?

Everything that's happening is puzzling, and Joe is grateful for help from his back-home wife, Marybeth; she's a librarian and handles research tasks with ease. Daughter Sheridan also proves her mettle, earning newfound respect from dear old dad. One of the strengths of this series for me, in fact, has been watching the changes in the family as the daughters grow up and move out.

As the complexity and possible connections among the various cases increase, Joe has his work cut out for him. Whether or not he's up to the task I'll leave to other readers to learn for themselves; but I will note that staying warm in the sub-zero temperatures of the Wyoming winter in far from the least of Joe's problems. To that end, perhaps he should pull a page from the books of other characters, who I suspect may be getting retainers (and maybe a new jacket every year or so) from outdoor apparel manufacturer Carhartt. If they're not, they should; the brand got mentioned no less than eight times throughout the book. 

The Disappeared by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2018); 398 pp.

VICIOUS CIRCLE

4.5 stars out of 5

This is something like the 17th book about Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, and since I've read most of them, by now I consider Joe a good friend. There's another reason I love the guy: As those who have read my past reviews most likely are tired of seeing, Joe and I share a surname. In fact, that's what got my attention in the beginning. This one, though, is extra-special for another reason: It was released in the United States on my birthday (March 21). How cool is that?

But of course, name- and birthday-sharing aren't automatic guarantees of loyalty to any series; great stories are. One thing that's kept me going is that over the years, is that it's been fun to watch Joe and his family grow. By this time, daughter Sheridan has graduated from the University of Wyoming, April is attending Northwest Community College, leaving only daughter Lucy still living at home. Joe's wife, Marybeth, is director of the Twelve Sleep County Library. Joe's job is going fine and all's right with the world.

Or not. At the opening, Joe is a reluctant passenger in a plane that's circling the mountains of Wyoming (way too close to the trees for Joe's comfort), looking for a hunter who's been reported missing. They spot what they think is him - along with three other humans - and the ending of that discovery isn't good. Back on the ground, Joe's also trying to track down a big poaching ring that's killing off elk, worrying about a blizzard that's about to hit and, worst of all, dealing with the realization that old enemy Dallas Cates (one-time boyfriend of April) has been released from jail. Because Joe was largely responsible for destroying the rest of the evil Cates family, he's concerned that Dallas's first order of business will be returning the favor.

When April's life is threatened, Joe knows for certain that he's right. But an attempt by local authorities to put Dallas back in jail goes south, leaving Joe and his family vulnerable once again. Toss into the mix appearances by Marybeth's totally irritating, gold-digging mother, Missy, and Joe's long-time friend, professional falconer and off-the-grid expert Nate Romanowski, and you've got the makings of another action-packed adventure.

So what motivated me to take this one down a half-notch from 5 stars? A few things needed a bit more fleshing out, IMHO; it's hard for me to believe Joe and his family - no matter how seasoned they are to misfortune and even the threat of personal danger - could have taken some of what happened to them so much in stride. Then too, Nate, while he still has his edge, just seemed a little too "normal" here; and not as much activity happens in the great outdoors (which to me is one of the pluses of the series). The ending, too, seemed a bit abrupt (almost as if the allocated word count had been reached and there was no choice but to stop or go back and chop somewhere else). Still, it's close enough to perfect for horseshoes - and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Vicious Circle by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2017); 377 pp.

OFF THE GRID

5 stars out of 5

From the beginning - when I first learned of this series featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett - I was hooked. Pickett, after all, is my maiden name; and while it's not all that uncommon, it provided me with a link I simply couldn't resist. Add to that an interesting character, plots set in remote areas of Wyoming and surrounding parts, and when I finish one I eagerly await publication of the next.

This is the 16th, I believe, and yes, it's every bit as good as its predecessors - despite the fact that the topic is less than appealing to me. With all that's going on in the world today, the absolute last thing I want to read about - even if it's fiction and the good guys and gals win - is anything even remotely connected to terrorism. This one dives into those waters with both feet, with a terrorist cell that ultimately threatens the lives of Joe, his "off the grid" falconer friend Nate Romanowski and at least one person very close to Joe (not to mention the United States as a whole). 

Nate, it seems, has been on the lam for some time, trying to avoid capture by a government that would love to see him back in jail. Unfortunately for him, a couple of special operators finally catch up with him. But rather than put him in chains, they make an offer: Help us destroy a terrorist cell that's taken up operations in Wyoming, and we'll wipe out any hint of your criminal record.

With little choice but to agree, Nate reluctantly sets out to infiltrate the cell. When he meets the leader and learns the agenda, though, he has second thoughts about his mission. The goal is to destroy a government activity that threatens the freedom of this country's citizens - not the citizens themselves - and the activist in Nate finds it hard not to sympathize. But true to his word, Nate puts his personal feelings aside and sticks to the task at hand.

Meanwhile, outgoing state Governor Rulon (with whom Joe has a special working relationship) calls Joe in to request a last favor before he leaves office: Follow Nate into the Red Desert and find out what he's up to. Somewhat reluctantly, Joe agrees. But as if all this weren't enough, a giant and vicious grizzly bear has gone rogue and developed an affinity for human meat; and Joe's daughter Sheridan's college roommate cajoles her into joining a group of students out to save the world by helping with a clandestine "project" somewhere in - you guessed it - the Red Desert.

As with all the other books, this one stands alone just fine; but I will emphasize that it's best to start somewhere closer to the first if the series is new to you. A big part of the interest, at least for me, is watching Joe's family grow up over the years. With the first book, Joe became one of my all-time favorite book "heroes" - and he's earned his place on that list with every installment since. This may not be my favorite of the series, but it's well worth reading.

Off the Grid by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2016); 380 pp.

THE COLD DISH

5 stars out of 5

Refusing to watch a movie or TV series that's based on a book before I've read the book is a rule I've broken only a couple of times in my life, with this instance being the second that I can recall. My husband and I were faithful fans of the "Longmire" show that premiered in June 2012 (it starred Robert Taylor and Lou Diamond Phillips and ran for three seasons before being canceled, much to our dismay). 

And although ignorance of the law is no defense, I will say only that at no time did I realize that the TV shows were based on books. I came to that realization not long ago, and because I'm always looking for a solid series to read when nothing else is grabbing my attention, I decided to give this one a try starting with the first (another almost inviolable rule).

The book introduces Walt Longmire, sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming (interestingly, the cover art on the most recent release is of Taylor, the very capable actor who portrayed Longmire in the TV show). The sheriff's wife died a few years earlier, his daughter is off somewhere being a lawyer, and his best friend is Henry - the character played (equally capably) by Phillips. His staff, which includes deputy Victoria Moretti ("Vic"), whose marriage is at best shaky and who has a vocabulary that can best any truck driver I've ever known.

Walt has been sheriff for 25 years, and he's hoping to retire and turn the office reins over to Vic. But then, the body of Cody Pritchard is found near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation; a couple of years earlier, Pritchard and three other high school boys raped a mentally challenged Cheyenne girl and ended up with suspended sentences. At first, the death appears to be accidental; but then, another of the boys turns up dead. Could it be that someone is seeking revenge? And if so, who? After all, the suspended sentence angered quite a few people, including Walt's long-time friend Henry.

If it were simply a matter of solving the crimes, the book wouldn't need nearly as many pages. But there's much, much more here, including descriptions of the remote surroundings and in-depth looks at the characters and their backgrounds. Every once in a while there's a chuckle, as when I came across this line spoken by Walt:

"I had been raised a Methodist where the highest sacrament was the bake sale."

As was I, Walt (only in my church's case, it was the rummage sale). I also could relate to his list of vehicles to forever despise that includes the 1950 yellow Studebaker on which he learned to drive. Actually, I learned on a '57 Chevy Bel Air (stick shift on the steering wheel), but my dad bought a maroon Studebaker close to the same vintage for me to drive from our farm to school my senior year. The car didn't smell much better than the school bus I rode for so many years, but it sure was less crowded.  

In any event, the story winds through the wilds of Wyoming with a few twists and turns as to who the culprit might be (I confess to suspecting who about halfway through, though, and turns out I was right). The writing is amazingly good (and for the record, I also was amazed at how spot-on the TV adaptation was). For those who enjoy plain old Westerns (think: William Kent Kruger and C.J. Box) and getting to know the characters inside out, this series is a don't-miss. The rest are on my to-read list for sure!

The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson (Penguin Books Reprint, May 2012); 400 pp.

ENDANGERED

5 stars out of 5

Quite a few books ago, I discovered this series because the last name of Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is the same as my maiden name. It's unusual enough that I simply had to check out the books - and quickly, Joe made my list of Top 10 favorite heroes. This is the 15th book in the series, and author C.J. Box remains at the top of his game - and yes, Joe is still on that list. And in this one, I found yet another personal tie-in; one of the characters, it seems, shares my March 21 birthday.

The book opens as Joe gets a call from local authorities saying they've found a near-dead young girl along a highway; she's been severely beaten, and it's suspected she's April, the adopted daughter of Joe and his wife Marybeth. Not long ago, the headstrong 18-year-old ran off with champion rodeo cowboy Dallas Cates, upsetting Joe, his wife and daughters Sheridan and Lucy.

Meantime, Joe's old friend and isolationist falconer, Nate Romanowski, has been freed from prison on the condition that he help the FBI track down Wolfgang Templeton, a billionaire who fled the country with Marybeth's mother after running afoul of the law. Nate's been warned to stay away from Joe, but as the story unfolds, the two are drawn close as seemingly unrelated events begin to interconnect (including the near murder of Nate that puts him in the same hospital as April and the disappearance of Nate's girlfriend, Olivia - the one with whom I share a birthday).

Angry over what's happened to April and Nate, upset by an apparently unrelated wholesale slaughter of potentially endangered wild birds and believing that April's rodeo cowboy is responsible for her beating, Joe sets out to find the truth - a truth that puts him in the crosshairs of an unbelievably nasty family and nearly costs him his own life.

This is another winner in the series, which I highly recommend. If possible, I think it's best to start at or near the beginning (Open Season, I believe, is the first, written in 2002), but readers of this one alone should be able to get enough of the background so as to not be lost. 

Endangered by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2015); 384 pp.

STONE COLD

4 stars out of 5

Depending on the source, this is either the 13th or 14th in the author's series featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, and I've read them all. As I've mentioned before, I started reading these books because of a special "connection" - Pickett is my family name. I've kept reading them, though, just because they're very good.

This one begins as Joe, who's officially still a game warden but unofficially assigned to handle special projects for the state governor, is given the task of finding out what's happening at a huge ranch in a remote area of the Black Hills. The owner, Wolfgang Templeton, is known as a philanthropist but also is powerful and mysterious. And, he's surrounded by dangerous men, not the least of whom is Joe's old friend Nate Romanowski, a falconer who's been living off the grid for quite some time. Meantime, Joe's daughter Sheridan, a resident assistant at the college she attends, is dealing with a potentially dangerous student, causing concern for Joe and his wife Marybeth. 

When he starts checking out Templeton and his property, Joe quickly learns the man literally owns everyone in the county - including local law enforcement and quite possibly old friend Nate as well. Has Nate crossed over to the dark side? Will Joe make it out of this wilderness alive once it becomes clear why he's really there? Can he get to his daughter before she becomes the victim of a sniper?

The way these questions are answered, in fact, are why I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5. Although everything moves along very quickly and it was hard to put the book down, parts of the plot - especially near the end - are more than a little contrived and hard to believe (an effort to set up the plot of the next installment, perhaps, or, as other reviewers have suggested, a rush to meet the publication deadline)? Still, it's a worthwhile read - just not the best of the lot. 

Stone Cold by C.J. Box (Putnam Adult, March 2014); 374 pp.

BREAKING POINT

5 stars (out of 5)

What's in a name? If it happens to be mine, you can be sure I'll take notice. I first discovered C.J. Box's series featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett years ago with the first - Open Season - simply because Pickett is my family name. I'd have read it just because of that, but the fact that it fell into the genre of books I love most made me even more eager to check it out.


That was then - 2001 - and I've been a happy reader ever since. As always, I couldn't wait to get the 13th and latest, Breaking Point, on my Kindle. And like all the others, it was hard to put it down and the ending, which of course I won't reveal, made me want to learn what happens next.

Part of the books' appeal is that they're not simply about the game warden and his adventures, but his wife and children as well. But now, his daughters are practically grown (one is in college), and I was curious to see how the family dynamic would be worked into this story. And in fact, while Joe's wife Marybeth has a bit of a role here, there seemed to me to be noticeably less emphasis on the family angle in this installment. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out in the next book in the series.

This one, which brings into play the dire consequences of government power gone wrong, is based on a true story that ended up before the Supreme Court (Sackett v. EPA 2012). Butch Roberson, Joe's family friend and business owner, has become the target of the Environmental Protection Agency, which apparently is out to get him by ruining everything he's tried hard to build up by declaring a tract of land on which Butch and his wife plan to build a retirement home a protected wetland. But then, two EPA agents are murdered, and the evidence points to Butch as the killer - suggesting that he he may have reached his breaking point.

As Butch goes on the run, a manhunt ensues, and it becomes clear that the powers-that-be aren't looking to capture him alive. As the local game warden and a man who is familiar with Butch, Joe is called into service to assist in the hunt. But early on he begins to suspect that something is very wrong and that some of the very people who employ him may be less than honorable - and who, by the end, bring Joe to a breaking point of his own. 

If I have a criticism, I suppose it would be that almost all of the U.S. government folks are shown in a much less-than-positive light - bringing to mind the political rants late author Vince Flynn would insert into his novels (for the record, he's a favorite author too). At the same time, author Box is a life-long resident of Wyoming, so I'm sure the Sackett case struck a few personal chords. And, much of the criticism is justified; sometimes, the government really is out to get you.  

Breaking Point by C.J. Box (Putnam Adult March 2013); 384 pp.