STORM TIDE

5 stars out of 5

So far, I’ve read five books in this wonderful series – this is the 16^th – and I’m thrilled to get my eyes on it. Five books ago, it became an annual favorite - reminiscent of author C.J. Box’s also-wonderful Joe Pickett series. No surprise, then, when this one didn’t disappoint – like the others, it just made me want to read the next one even more.

The main character Mike Bowditch, a game warden in Maine (one of few states I’d consider moving to if I ever left my home in the Midwest), got into some trouble in the last book that resulted in a demotion from his relatively new job as a warden investigator – a hoped -for reinstatement is in the works. Now, he’s pounding the beat as a “regular” game warden, where ostensibly he can’t get himself in quite as much trouble. That’s fine with his wife, Stacey, an EMT who is getting close to delivering more than aid to injured people; she’s pregnant with their first child. The plan is for home delivery, at the nearby home of her parents (her father is a retired game warden and her mother a former nurse, plus they’ll have an experienced doula).

What’s that old saying, something like “the best-laid plans?” In this case, it’s more like which of those plans will go to you-know-where in a handbasket first. Since Stacey’s delivery is a few months away, in this case the issues start with Mike, who encounters a gruesome scene when a man and wife die in a horrific home fire. Standing nearby is a woman holding a baby, who claims the infant was handed to her by a strange man. While home fires aren’t necessarily arson, this one is suspect because most of the area residents believe the dead man murdered his own son even though he was never charged. Perhaps, then, someone was looking for his or own concept of justice.

Around the same time comes another tragedy: the body of Axl Deming, also suspected of a gruesome crime, is found, let’s say, not in one piece near a railroad track. Mike goes to that scene as well, where his suspicions that the two events are somehow connected take hold. And amid all this, he gets a call that suggests someone may be stalking him personally. But he’s on limited duty (though still being paid), so what can he do? But Mike is Mike, and loyal readers will know he’ll find some way to get to the truth.

The path, as usual, is fraught with danger not only to Mike, but to Stacey and others he loves including his scary wolf-dog, Shadow. But also as usual, it’s a well-written, entertaining journey – with a somewhat unexpected ending. I’m ready for the next installment already, as usual, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to tag along with Mike on this one by way of a pre-release copy.

Storm Tide by Paul Doiron (Minotaur Books, June 2026); 352 pp.

THE CROSSROADS

4 stars out of 5

Every once in a while, IMHO, all long-running series need a creativity kick in the derriere. Even loyal fans (as I most certainly am of this series) get a little tired of the same place, same people chasing different bad guys and gals. In this one, the 26^th, Three Sleep County, Wisconsin, game warden Joe Pickett doesn’t get much page time except in flashbacks, nor does his off-the-grid “outlaw” buddy and falconer, Nate Romanowski – it’s Joe’s three daughters – Sheridan, April and Lucy - who take center stage.

Joe, you see, is being held elsewhere – a hospital in nearby Billings, Montana – and his family, including his wife Marybeth, don’t know whether he’ll live or die (or what his life will be like if he does make it). At the moment, he’s in an induced coma as a result of being shot through the windshield of his truck at the Antler Creek Junction – a (ahem!) crossroads where three roads split off, each leading to a large ranch owned by wealthy, powerful and very secretive people. Which of the three ranches he was planning to visit is unknown, as is the reason for his visit.

Leading the investigation is the new kid in town – Sheriff Steve Sondergard, who hasn’t even had time to organize his office. Steve has met and seems intrigued by Sheridan, who is heading up the bird abatement company owned by Romanowski while he remains off the grid with his young daughter Kestral. April works in Bozeman, Montana, at a private investigation agency, while Lucy attends the University of Wisconsin. When they get the news, April and Lucy waste no time returning home to help in any way they can.

That turns out to be running their own full-on investigation, with agreement – though grudgingly – from the sheriff. It doesn’t take long before Joe’s long-time friend Nate makes his presence known as well, offering a few suggestions and tidbits of advice. With almost nothing to go on – Joe’s phone and daily journal are nowhere to be found – the girls begin by making plans to independently interview each of the ranch owners; not an easy task since none are friends of Joe or any other law enforcement officials. Along the way, a couple of other dead bodies turn up that seem to be related to Joe’s shooting. Overarching the entire story, of course, is Joe’s condition; all that’s known till the end is that he’s in very capable hands at the hospital.

Also of course, any other details from me will not be forthcoming (especially the ending) so as not to spoil things for other readers, but I certainly enjoyed it myself and thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. But while this one was highly entertaining, I’m ready for Joe to stand front and center in the next one. Pretty please?

The Crossroads by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, February 2026); 352 pp.

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.

PITCH DARK

4 stars out of 5

I came late to the party for this wonderful series, discovering it just five books ago (this is the 15th). Each one has served up an action-packed adventure with engaging characters like the star of the show, Mike Bowditch, Maine game warden investigator. No less interesting are his wife Stacey, now an EMT, and her father, retired game warden Charlie Stevens - the latter a long-time mentor and father-figure to Mike.

This time around, though, it's almost all about Mike; Charlie does play a crucial role, but Stacey not so much. The story begins as Mike gets a call from a game warden in a remote district, asking for Mike's help with finding a missing person; that, in turn, leads him and Charlie, who insisted on tagging along, to the really, really remote home of mutual friend Josie, who's a helicopter pilot. Strangely connected to the case is an equally strange man named Mark Redmond, who has been tasked with building a gorgeous home for Josie and, also strangely, is accompanied by his 12-year-old daughter Cady. Both, however, seem to have disappeared from Josie's premises.

Needless to say, they're all now in an area that has little or no access to cell phones; but Josie believes a couple who run a sugar mill in an even more remote area may know something. So, off Mike and Charlie go in Josie's helicopter to find out. They got it right, actually, but also very wrong; let's just say Mike, Charlie and Josie quickly find themselves in no position to do more chasing - a situation that goes from bad to worse.

But Mike is nothing if not resourceful; the situation gets a reprieve of sorts, freeing him to continue tracking the man and his daughter, who clearly want to get away fast. From here on, it's a battle of wits and who can withstand the most physical punishment interspersed with a few twists (and I'm not referring to the tree-covered terrain). The ending brings a bit of a cliffhanger as well as other news that make me hope that the next installment won't be long in coming. Meantime, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to once again enjoy the exploits of one of my favorite characters.

Pitch Dark by Paul Doiron (Minotaur Books, June 2024); 304 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.

DEAD MAN'S WAKE

4 stars out of 5

Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch has become a favorite character over the half-dozen or so years I've been reading books in this wonderful now 14-book series, and this latest entry doesn't disappoint. Mike and his fiancee, Stacey Stevens, are at a lake house for an engagement party with her parents and his stepparents, when they hear a loud bang - and Mike's certain that there's been a hit-and-run accident on the lake. That's putting it mildly; when Mike gets to the scene, he finds - and carefully fishes out - a human arm. Early the next morning, that discovery is augmented by the discovery of the rest of the guy - plus a female body (both naked). That adds up to an affair gone wrong near a privately owned island in the lake.

Almost as quickly, what early on was suspected to be a gruesome accident turns out to be murder; that puts Mike, whose job it is to identify the pilot of the hit-and-run boat and follow that to its legal end, on the outside looking in while the state police take over the actual murder investigation. Not surprisingly, though, the lines tend to blur more often than not, and happily, Mike has a great working relationship with the cops (well, most of them, anyway). Keeping things stirred up in the mix - and a constant thorn in Mike's side - is a local "lake constable" who refuses to keep his nose out, constantly bemoaning the fact that he wasn't deemed qualified enough to get hired as a "real" game warden.

There's a lot of interaction between Mike and Stacey's retired game warden dad Charley - who's really more of a father to Mike than is his own stepfather, with whom his relationship is rocky at best. There's plenty of action and well-researched details (almost a little too many of the latter, in fact), and the whole thing ends with a scary yin followed by a very welcome yang that makes me eager to read the next installment. All told, well done once again, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Dead Man's Wake by Paul Dioron (Minotaur Books, June 2023); 320 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.

HATCHET ISLAND

4 stars out of 5

This is a favorite series of mine, but I must say this latest entry - the 13th - isn't my favorite of the bunch. Still, Maine game warden Mike Bowditch retains his perch near the top of my favorite heroes list, even if the rest of the cast are for the most part rather unlikable characters.

This one begins as Mike and his significant other, Stacey Stevens, are kayaking to an island that's a sanctuary for endangered seabirds and the site of a research project in which Stacey was once involved as an intern. The project, the Maine Seabird Initiative, is headed by Dr. Maeve McLeary; Stacey's good friend, an intern there, tells Stacey that strange things are happening. Most curious of all, Maeve seems to be missing - and her unexplained disappearance follows on the heels of the death by suicide of a young male intern.

As they camp for the following night, Mike and Stacey are awakened by a gunshot; when they pull up stakes to get to the island, they find a total disaster. Of the three researchers on the island, two have been brutally murdered. The third - now a person of interest - either escaped being a victim or himself was the perpetrator. Several other law enforcement entities are called in to help, including the Marine Patrol and an officer who's got a violent streak. On a nearby island is a community that's dominated by a powerful but secretive photographer and a wife who will do anything to protect her husband. A third island, the rather inhospitable Hatchet Island, is the site of said photographer's "studio," which may hold a few secrets of its own.

The action starts at the beginning and doesn't let up till the end, with Mike and Stacey in the middle and, on occasion, threatened with extinction just like some of the seabirds (the details of which, of course, I won't reveal). In the overall scheme of things, the "big reveal" left me a little underwhelmed, but I will say getting there was a whole bunch of fun. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it - already looking forward to the next.

Hatchet Island by Paul Doiron (Minotaur Books, June 2022); 320 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.

DEAD BY DAWN

5 stars out of 5

If for no other reason than I can lose myself in backwoods adventure, I always look forward to the latest book in this always entertaining series. That said, it certainly doesn't hurt to have an interesting, charismatic character like Maine game warden Mike Bowditch popping up in the pages, and this may be one of the most action-packed editions I've read, with my man fighting tooth and nail for his very life.

To that end, I have to admit this isn't my favorite of all that I've read, but that's purely a personal thing that has nothing to do with the quality of writing or the plot. When a character is put under this kind of physical and mental stress, I don't much enjoy reading about it (no, I don't worry much about him or her getting bumped off  - it's a series, for gosh sake) - but it's a little too anxiety provoking for me. Along with that, I kept wishing some of the other characters would get buried in all the snow - or torn limb from limb by Mike's wolf-dog, Shadow - just because they are so over-the-top vile. Of course, whether either of those options comes to pass I won't say lest I give away too much.

The story begins in the present, when Mike puts his Jeep pedal to the metal and ends up in a mostly frozen river. He makes it out alive, but with little to help him survive except his own skills and instincts. Chapters then follow what led up to the ambush - with emphasis on those aforementioned vile characters. These are interspersed with chapters detailing how he's holding up in the snow and frigid temperature, and everything comes together for a bang-up finale (nope, can't reveal that, either).

If you haven't already guessed, this is one of my favorite series, in which this is the 12th entry. Endless thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review another installment. Well done once again - please keep 'em coming!

Dead By Dawn by Paul Doiron (Minotaur Books, June 2021); 304 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.

ALMOST MIDNIGHT

5 stars out of 5

Love, love, love this series - and this, the 10th book, certainly does nothing to change that enthusiasm. Game Warden Mike Bowditch is in fine fettle - even if he's dithering a bit in his relatively new relationship with Maine state trooper Dani Tate. I've said this in other reviews, but Mike reminds me of author C.J. Box's game warden Joe Pickett, and in this book I picked up some tinges of Michael Lister's former prison chaplain John Jordan as well. But make no mistake: Mike is his own person - and a very capable, likable one at that.

Mike is an investigator with the Maine Warden Service, and as this story begins, he visits old friend and prison inmate Billy Cronk. Cryptically, Billy tells Mike that the new prison CO, Dawn Richie, needs to be investigated - but he stops short of explaining why. Mike is skeptical, but he also feels responsible for Billy's being in prison and somewhat reluctantly decides to look into the matter. Not long after his visit, Mike learns of a prison fight, during which both Billy and Dawn are injured. As it turns out, Billy was credited for saving the day (and Dawn's life), and now the governor says he'll issue a pardon.

Meantime, Mike - who's on vacation at the moment - must deal with a mystery of a very different sort; a wild wolf-dog with whom Mike once had a relationship of sorts has been shot with a wicked crossbow arrow and is expected to die. Both sad and furious, Mike vows to track down the archer. He uses his remaining free days to head for the deep backwoods, where some nasty characters and (surprise!) a group of Amish are ensconced. With help from an old friend, Mike even makes a rustic home for himself in the middle of a very scenic nowhere.

Billy's issues and the search for the wolf-killer run side by side for most of the book, coming together near the end when Billy's wife and children, who are trying to hide from some baddies who want to do them and Billy serious harm, take shelter in Mike's backwoods shack. At that point, all heck breaks loose - and readers are treated to a literal bang-up ending that happened way too soon to suit me.

Another terrific series entry is in the can - one thoroughly enjoyed by me as expected. Many thanks (once again) to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. 

Almost Midnight by Paul Doiron (Minotaur Books, July 2019); 320 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.

THE POACHER'S SON

5 stars out of 5


For a bookaholic like me, finding a great series is more satisfying than finding an ice cream shop with 24 flavors and a going-out-of-business sale. They both, however, share the same downside: Finding time to do them justice. For sure that's true in the case of this author's Mike Bowditch books; this is my first, and I'm determined it won't be my last.

The happy dilemma came about by way of an accident of sorts; my husband Jack, who's a bit hard to please when it comes to books, learned of the series on Facebook (I'll have to keep this in mind next time I start bashing social media). He loved this one, and as of this writing, he's on the fourth and still going strong (there are nine books in all, I believe). With his recommendation in mind - and a description reminiscent of another favorite series of mine, C.J. Box's game warden Joe Pickett - I decided to give this one a try. Now I, too, am itching to get at the rest (according to Jack, they get even better as they go along).

Set in a mostly remote mid-coast area of Maine, Mike is the son of a cantankerous backwoods dweller whose wife left when Mike was 9 years old, taking him with her. Despite his father's notable absence,  Mike - now 24 years old -  is drawn to his father's territory. He passed on law school in favor of the lifestyle of a game warden (a move that put him at odds with his mother and stepfather and more recently cost him his college sweetheart). One evening, he walks in his door to see his phone blinking; it's a cryptic message from the father he hasn't seen in years. A return call proves fruitless, but the next morning Mike gets an unwelcome hint at what's going on: A call from the local police, who want to know where Mike's father is. Turns out two men were murdered the previous night - one of them a police officer - and they believe Mike's dad is the killer.

Mike has no doubt of his father's tendency toward a nasty temper, but he's convinced that the man would stop short of killing someone. The police, however, see things very differently. Mike desperately wants to help, but because he's got an emotional stake in the outcome, the police warn him to keep his nose out of the investigation. Needless to say, Mike doesn't listen; the rest of the book details his efforts to find his father and clear his name, therein threatening both his career and possibly his own life. It's a nonstop adventure that brings out the best and worst of love, loyalty and betrayal with a bang-up ending. Highly recommended!

The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron (Minotaur Books, May 2010); 315 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.

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.

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.