Friday, March 13, 2020

Long Range by CJ Box


Joe Pickett  is called to the Jackson Hole district to help a fellow Game and Fish warden track down a grizzly that may be mauled an experienced backwoods guide. Only way in is a long ride on horseback. The head dog of Wyoming’s Game and Fish department calls the team on the satphone. The county judge from Pickett’s home district is on a tear. Calls the Governor who calls the Game and Fish boss who runs down Pickett. The judge is demanding every person with arrest authority in his county to his house . . . now. No exceptions.

Judge Hewitt lives year round in a gated vacation community that overlooks both a golf course and the surrounding wilderness. Last night, someone took a shot at him. Hewitt bent over to pick up random drop of a napkin and the bullet sailed over his head and struck his wife in the chest. Hewitt wants every level of law enforcement laser-focused on finding the shooter. Joe tells his boss that it’ll take hours to ride back to his truck and then more hours to drive back to Saddlestring. No, it won’t, his boss says. Right about then, Joe hears a helicopter zero in on their location.

If you remember from the previous book (Wolf Pack), a group of cartel assassins were killed in a shootout on the steps of the county courthouse. Among others, the county sheriff was killed and the prosecutor was crippled. An outsider was elected sheriff and the county public defender crossed the aisle to become prosecutor. The new sheriff is an arrogant SOB with plans to completely resurrect what he sees as a failed department. He ain’t liked. And he certainly sees no need for a hunting summons-writing warden.
 
The sheriff has his ideas on how to investigate the shooting. His detective book doesn’t fit in well with the locals, Joe included. While the sheriff has deputies combing the golf course for clues, Joe asks his friend (and ex-spec ops soldier) Nick Romanowski for his opinion on whether a trained sniper could’ve taken the shot.

But Nick has his own issues. He’s become a family man. Married. Newborn daughter. Yarack, Inc (his falcon-based bird abatement company) is flush with business. Not bad for a guy with a history of sitting in trees, naked, to observe nature. He’s is told that the cartel behind that courthouse massacre is gunning for him and to watch his back. And that the cartel isn’t above punishing his family.

So, the soap opera that is Joe Pickett’s life now has three seemingly disparate issues: the grizzly attack, the attempted murder by a sniper, and a cartel’s goal of retribution against Nick.

All in a day’s work for a lowly game and fish warden who isn’t a great shot with a firearm, has a history of state property damage (trucks and homes mainly), but still has the ear of a former governor. Not to mention is a close friend with a one-man wrecking crew.

Let’s see. The first Joe Pickett novel was 2001. Each year we get a new glimpse into Pickett’s life. It’s 2020 so that means this is the 20th Joe Pickett novel. And I bet sales have increased every year.

Bottom line is simple: if book sales continue to rise, your main character is still fresh, and the stories are compelling, you end up with 20 straight hits and an expanding loyal fan base. And with no indication of slowing down.Yeah. Box is that good. One of the sure fire, can't miss authors out there.

Now that COVID-19 has forced everyone into self-isolation, you’ll be needing some books to binge on. Don't let Netflix nail you to your couch. Here's enough to keep you entertained that are high on the MRB charts: Joe Pickett (20 by Box), Jack Reacher (24 by Lee Child), Walt Longmire (19 by Craig Johnson), Gabriel Allon (20 by Daniel Silva), Lucas Davenport (30 by John Sanford), Harry Bosch (23 by Michael Connelly), Elvis Cole/Joe Pike (19 by Robert Crais), Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (16 by Louise Penny). Outstanding company. Absolutely cannot go wrong. And there’s plenty more out there. Dive in.

But it you’ve never read any Joe Picket books by CJ Box, you just aren’t paying attention. These books are the real deal, boy and girls . . . the real deal.

ECD

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