Out of Range

C.J. Box's Joe Pickett adventures seem to very in style with each novel. The initial Open Season was a surreal not quite but almost Carl Hiaasen type novel, then Savage Run turned the series into a more traditional thriller type of adventure. Trophy Hunt introduced a very far fetched paranormal element into the series and I am glad to say that Out of Range has none of that and is a return to the traditional believable realistic type thriller. In fact I would have to say this is my favourite of the Joe Pickett adventures. However I would strongly suggest reading these books in order, starting with Open Season as parts of previous novels are given away in subsequent ones and Out of Range is certainly no exception to that. In Out of Range the game warden in the larger neighbourly district Jackson, Wyoming is found dead with everyone including Joe in disbelief that he would kill himself. Since the hunting season starts earlier there Joe is ordered to temporarily take over that district and since his daughters are in school he decides to leave his family behind in Saddlestring. In Jackson Joe encounters much resistance to his presence there from everyone from the local police to the Parks Department financial officer who points out at every opportunity how much Joe's career is costing the department. With his wife getting more and more upset with him, not realising he doesn't have the opportunities or time to ring her as often as she'd like both are tempted by opportunities from the opposite sex. It soon becomes apparent to Joe he is leading former game warden Will's life in more ways than one, and there is substantial danger to his in doing so.

You really have to wonder why C. J. Box isn't selling more books. He is clearly a talented writer with a gifted imagination. He has been recognized by critics and organizations responsible for literary awards, and yet his books are hard to find, even at the largest big box bookstores. I am hoping that with his latest book, Out of Range, the momentum he needs to move to the next level of recognition, will begin to build. Out of Range is C.J's 5th Joe Pickett novel. For anyone new to the series, Joe Pickett is a Game Warden working for the state of Wyoming. You might not think there would be a lot happening in the life of a Wyoming Game Warden, but in Joe Pickett's Wyoming there sure as heck is! Seems this state has an over abundance of killings, deadly animals, and incredibly beautiful but dangerous landscapes, and Joe Pickett is a magnet that seems to attract all the various forms of trouble. This book begins when Joe learns about the death/suicide of a good friend and fellow Game Warden and the man responsible for the highly visible Jackson Hole district. Joe is selected from a short list of Game Wardens to take over his friend's former district. As you might expect, Joe sees all kinds of reasons to doubt the "official" findings behind his friend's death, and it doesn't take Joe long to make enemies of the same people that apparently weren't getting along with the former Warden. Added to the problems in Jackson Hole, Joe is also having marital problems with the wife he temporally left behind when he had to relocate to the new district, and if that weren't enough, she is also experiencing her own form of grave danger. While the conclusion is fairly predictable, the story builds suspense and anticipation throughout, and you will enjoy how Box pulls it all together at the end. This is a well written book, easy to read, and unlike so many similarly styled books, Box spends enough time introducing all the characters so that they are easy to keep track of and remember. Highly Recommended!

Another blockbuster by CJ! I can hardly wait for the next one. I stayed up all night and read Out of Range and couldn't put it down. For not being a game warden ( I am), Box has a very good grasp on the work. Not only do you have new villians to hate, you have a new Sheriff and new territory (Jackson, WY) to deal with and all the set of problems that brings. Box just keeps getting better with each new novel.

Box excels at sense of place and creating interesting characters. This book has the classic elements of drama and suspense. But there is much more to it than that. This is a book about conflict on many different levels. It's intriguing, dark, honorable and made me think. It is, I believe, Box's best book so far.

Game Warden Joe Pickett who is based in Saddlestring, Twelve Sleep County in Wyoming is shocked when he hears that fellow game warden Will Jensen committed suicide. Joe's supervisor asks him to temporally take over Will's territory Jackson in Teton County; although it is not a good time to leave his wife and two daughters. He agrees to the temporary assignment in the hopes that he will obtain a better position and more income. Before he leaves, he asks his friend Nate Romanaski to watch his family because they are getting some strange calls that could prove dangerous. A spark ignites between Joe's wife and Nate one that they both try to ignore. Meanwhile, in Jackson, Joe is trying to deal with an ambitious supervisor ,an outfitter who doesn't adhere to the law and a developer who needs Joe approval to get his project off the ground. In an ominous turn of events Joe is exhibiting the same symptoms that Will experienced before he committed suicide and he begins to suspect that he and Will were set up by a dangerous and ruthless enemy. C.J. Box has written some pretty spectacular books over the years but OUT OF RANGE is by far his best work to date. This literary and lyrical thriller is memorable and will be considered a classic. The protagonist is an everyman that people can identify with him even when he finds himself attracted to another woman but like his wife chooses to ignore it. The plot is Byzantine, dark, gritty, almost gothic in tone and will appeal not just to mystery fans but to anyone who loves a good book. Harriet Klausner