Out Of Range
Ratings9
Average rating3.9
Game warden Joe Pickett returns in a twisting, action-packed tale of greed, power, and murder.
Joe Pickett is attempting to enjoy-all right, survive-his mother-in-law's wedding to a local big-shot rancher when he receives some disturbing Will Jensen,a fellow Wyoming game warden and a good friend, has killed himself. And Joe's been picked to temporarily run Jensen's Teton district.
Jackson, Wyoming, is a far cry from Joe's hometown of Saddlestring-it's the epicenter for many environmental extremists and an elite playground for the rich and powerful-and Joe quickly finds himself in over his head. Yet despite the pressures of his new job, he can't get his friend's suicide out of his mind. By all accounts, Will had changed in the last few months, becoming violent and unpredictable.
The closer Joe comes to the truth about Will's death, the more his own life spirals out of control-and he realizes that if he's not careful, he may end up as Jackson's next victim. Out of Range proves once again that C. J. Box is one of the most original and entertaining voices in mystery fiction.
Series
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23 primary books24 released booksJoe Pickett
Joe Pickett is a 26-book series with 24 primary works first released in 2001 with contributions by C.J. Box.
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Another good story in the Joe Pickett series. In this one Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett has to go to Jackson, Wyoming to cover the area of a fellow game warden and personal friend who has committed suicide. Joe comes to suspect that it wasn't a simple suicide. He is soon caught up in trying to find out what caused his friend to become depressed and suicidal. While this is going on, trouble starts brewing at home, and Joe has to call on his dangerous friend Nate Romanowski to protect his family. This story features multiple villains, dangerous wildlife, sexual temptation, gunfights, assassins, and several unexpected plot twists. What's not to like?
Pretty good book. Three and one-half stars rounded up.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick takes post to catch up–emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.
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Of all the books in this post, this is the one that bugs me the most—but I'm being honest, I'm not going to find the time to give this the post I want to. Like his fellow Wyomingite (I had to look that term up), Walt Longmire, Joe Pickett has to leave his home occasionally. There's just no way Box can keep killing people in that sparsely populated area.
So Joe goes to Jackson Hole to temporarily fill the office of a warden who killed himself—and, maybe, just figure out what drove the man to suicide*. Seeing Joe out of water, yet right at home in the work is great—I'm betting Box will do things like this in the future (again, see Longmire), and it'll be worth it.
* Spoiler: he does.
Joe leaves Marybeth and the kids at home, with the usual financial woes, stresses of a pre-teen far too wise for her years (but with all the attitude of a preteen), and new loneliness. This marriage is headed for trouble—thankfully, both of them realize it (I'm not sure I can handle them splitting, and I'm not a die-hard Pickett fan yet).
Great mystery. Better sub-stories (I can't start talking about the Nate Romanowski story without spoiling it). I'm really, really glad I started this series.
