Out Of Range

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.