Joe Pickett Series By C. J. Box - Bev Russell, Library Director
(This column appeared in the September 30, 2007, Star-Herald)
Librarian Jana Kehn gave me a break again this week with this review and information about an upcoming event.
If you need a good reason to pick up a new mystery, look no further. C.J. Box is one of the best things going in the mystery/crime genre, and he lives right down the highway in Cheyenne, which makes him practically a neighbor.
The close proximity has afforded us the opportunity to have Box make a personal appearance. On Oct. 3rd he will be speaking and doing book signings between 2 and 4 p.m. at the Gering Public Library, and at Scottsbluff Public Library from 6 to 8 p.m. Both performances are free to the public. Scottsbluff Library has copies of his novels available in hard back and paper back to purchase for autographing (perfect gifts for that hard-to–buy-for person on your list). A portion of the proceeds goes towards the Library expansion.
With the publication of his first novel "Open Season" in 2001, it has been nonstop for Box. "Free Fire", the seventh book in his award-winning Joe Pickett series, was released in 2007.
Box places his characters in beautiful and slightly wild locales and then sets up situations that grab the imagination and take readers on thrilling and dangerous adventures.
Joe Pickett, a Wyoming game warden, is a homey, down-to-earth family man with a wife and two daughters. The reader becomes involved immediately as Pickett faces real life situations with his job and family.
"Open Season", Box’s debut novel, introduces us to Pickett, whose character makes this a series to remember. Joe is struggling to fill the shoes of his mentor, legendary Vern Dunnegan, as warden of Twelve Sleep County, and trying to support his wife and growing family on the meager salary he makes.
When Joe has an encounter with a well-known poacher he realizes that their dealings are far from over. However, he never expects that their next run-in will be when said poacher ends up dead in Joe’s back yard. Excitement is heightened with the discovery of more victims and Joe can’t understand why his colleagues don’t want to get to the bottom of the crimes. When local political and bureaucratic conflicts between those who want to develop the area and those who want to preserve it are brought into play, Joe’s resolve to see justice done puts his career in jeopardy and his family in mortal danger. "Open Season" will please both mystery buffs and mainstream fiction readers as it pulls the reader into the ruggedness of the Wyoming high country and the world of game warden Joe Pickett.
"In Plain Sight", the sixth book in the Pickett series, involves the disappearance of a local matriarch ranch owner, Opal Scarlett. Her sons, Hank and Arlen, begin a bloody feud over who will inherit the ranch and its rich land. This feud divides the town, further complicating Pickett’s attempts to find out what really happened to Opal. If that weren’t enough, a mysterious ranch hand, John Wayne Keeley, appears. Keeley is a killer whose ability to play both sides of the feud draws Pickett’s suspicion. What Pickett doesn’t know is that Keeley has marked Pickett and his family as his next victims.
"In Plain Sight" starts out with a good, old fashioned, western brawl and ends with a high-speed chase…on white water rapids, no less…with lots of exciting events in between, and some unexpected twists at the end. What more could readers want?
Although Box’s books can be read as stand-alone novels, they do follow a linear sequence. The reader will be inspired to pick up those earlier Pickett books to enjoy the full development of Box’s characters.
Plan on joining us on Oct. 3rd at either location or time (or both) for refreshments, a great performance by C.J. Box and a chance to learn more about the development of Joe Pickett, Wyoming Game Warden.
In addition to the C. J. Box event on Wednesday, October 3rd, the library is hosting a Used Book Sale and Food Fair on Saturday, October 6, 2007 from 9:00 – 4:00. Come and enjoy some wonderful food, purchase a few books and help us raise money to grow and improve the Scottsbluff Public Library. BR
:: Go to Library Home ::
Scottsbluff Public Library :: 1809 Third Avenue :: Scottsbluff, NE 69361 :: 308-630-6250