Reviews

I loved this book! The characters are likable and the description of the scenery is beautiful. The plot was good, although the unexplained addition of a foster daughter seemed unnecessary. My guess is that she’ll appear in a bigger role in subsequent books. I also love the way Joe loves his wife and realizes that even though they’ve been together for years, he’s still getting to know her. Their relationship seems pretty realistic. And their oldest daughter, Sheridan, is well-written. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

cpriley401's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

book_concierge's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Book # 2 in the Joe Pickett series starts with the death of an infamous environmentalist. A fire-spotter has noted the explosion, and the Sheriff, expecting some sort of poaching of elk, calls on the Wyoming Game Warden to join him in investigating. The bloody scene of destruction is not what they were expecting and the Sheriff seems particularly angry that Pickett is involved. “But,” Pickett reminds him, “YOU called me to join you.” The case is closed fairly quickly, but Joe isn’t satisfied, and several other deaths among environmentalists increase his suspicions.

I love the Joe Pickett character. He’s an honest-to-God “good guy” – highly principled, and deliberating carefully before acting. However, he does have a tendency to overreach and not consider the political ramifications of his black-and-white thinking. I guess I’d have to say that he is naïve and hasn’t matured into the kind of warden he certainly is capable of becoming – yet. Those missteps are what make the plots of these books so interesting, and make Joe such a likeable character.

Box also is skilled at crafting a fast-paced page-turner. In this novel he moves back and forth between Joe, the killers, and Joe’s wife, Marybeth, giving the reader short vignettes that slowly reveal the big picture. This kind of structure also helps build suspense.

And this book has one of the best opening lines – ever: On the third day of their honeymoon, infamous environmental activist Stewie Woods and his new bride, Annabel Bellotti, were spiking trees in the forest when a cow exploded and blew them up. Until then, their marriage had been happy.

I’ll definitely keep reading this series.

mpapomeroy's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

ryanferguson83's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

More...