C.J. Box has a formula that works. Joe Pickett, his main character is a highly principled game warden in Montana with a unique sense of right and wrong. His stubbornness will not let him violate his principals regardless of negative consequences to his career or to his life. This character trait makes him both an ally and an annoyance to most everyone he knows from his anarchist best friend, Nate Romanowski to the governor of the state, Governor Runlon. Only with his wife, Mary Beth does he manage to maintain a stable relationship.
In 'Nowhere to Run', Joe Pickett takes a weeklong trip on horseback into the supposed uninhabited mountains to investigate an elk hunting violation. Seems someone stole a hunter’s prey and Joe sets out to find out what happened. Two days into his trip Joe comes across a tall, thin mountain man fishing in a stream without a license and proceeds to write him a violation. Turns out Caleb Grim and his twin brother, Calmish (aka Brothers Grim) are living in exile in these secluded Montana mountains and take offense to all ‘government men’ which Joe represents. Shortly after leaving the brothers, Joe and his horses are attacked with bows and arrows. Joe narrowly escapes with an arrow in his leg but he watches the Brothers Grim butcher his horses from afar. With the arrow sticking out of his thigh, Joe luckily stumbles upon a cabin with a single woman inhabitant. She treats his wound and sends him on his way just before the brothers show up and burn the cabin down. Joe again narrowly escapes but this time he has a long walk on an injured leg down the mountain.
Back in civilization, Joe reports his story to the authorities from his hospital bed. The media becomes interested in Joe’s story because a young female Olympic runner, Diane Shober had disappeared in the area a few months earlier and speculation swells that the woman who helped Joe could be the missing athlete. Local, state, and federal law enforcement as well as private investigators hired by the athlete’s family, all takes interest. The sheriff leads a modern day posse up the mountains but finds no evidence of the woman, her cabin, or the Grim brothers. Joe’s reputation comes into question and he feels compelled to prove his story except that his wife makes him promise not to pursue it. As he is recuperating at home, Diane Shober’s parents visit Joe. While Joe takes an instant dislike to the arrogant father, the mother’s plea to find her daughter sets Joe in motion with Mary Beth’s blessing. Joe and Nate set out with horse trailer in tow and guns loaded toward the mountains. They are intercepted in route by state troopers and are taken to meet personally with Governor Rulon and Agent Coon of the FBI. The government duo tells Joe and Nate a conspiracy story involving a Michigan U.S. Senator, Diane Shober’s father and Michigan land developer and the Grim brothers. Joe finds himself sympathizing with the Grim brothers and Diane Shober but morally obligated to bring them in and uphold the law.
Nowhere to Run allows you to escape into the solitary beauty of some of the most rugged and majestic landscape of our country and entertains you with an intriguing story of human greed and its consequences. Only in fiction are we comfortable with the solid and selfless character of a Joe Pickett. As to more C.J. Box novels…giddy up.
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