Well it turns out that this is the 26th book in the Joe Pickett series by best-selling American author C.J. Box, so I’m coming in at a distinct disadvantage, as this is the first one I’ve read. In fact, I’d not even heard of this writer. Still, as anyone who’s ever read a decent thriller series knows, it should be possible to enjoy any book in a series as a stand-alone work. So while I don’t have the emotional investment in the characters, or know about events from past novels that other readers familiar with Box’s oeuvre have, I can still say that this book can indeed stand on its own.
Joe Pickett is a game warden in the rugged state of Wyoming, and his beat is something 5,000 square miles – that’s around 13,000 square kilometres. His job naturally takes him away from home for days at a time, and he’s often out of contact. His wife, Marybeth, is a librarian in the small town of Saddlespring, where they live. The book opens with her receiving a phone call from the police, telling her Joe has been shot in the head, at the junction linking the ranches of three different families. This is the crossroads of the title. Now Joe is in hospital in an induced coma, the victim of hired (yet unsuccessful) killers. While Marybeth stays at his side, their three daughters come together to investigate who was behind the shooting and why.
The owners of those three ranches have had, as it turns out, many interactions with Joe, who is a bit of a thorn in their respective sides. What’s going on in each of the ranches is not quite cricket – think illegal activities, environmental degradation, corrupt empire building, and mix in a hefty dose of swagger. Each ranch displays large ‘no trespassing’ signs – these places have guard dogs, henchmen, the whole shebang. The owners have no fear of the law. They’re landowners, business people, hunters, gunowners, and they throw their weight around, threatening anyone who stands in their way. (Speaking of guns, there’s a lot of detail about firearms, which is, no doubt, of interest to American readers or those who find guns interesting, but I found it a bit tedious.) Anyway, suffice to say that Joe is not popular with the owners.
Joe’s three daughters believe that the owner of one of these ranches is responsible for the attack on their father. So – with the police’s knowledge – they each take a ranch, and attempt to make whatever discoveries they can. This isn’t easy, what with all the security in place and the general ‘get off my property’ attitude that pervades the area. It’s a bit of a long bow asking us to believe that the sheriff agreed to exchange information with civilians, that trying to solve the mystery of who shot Joe and why, would be a team effort on the part of the police and the victim’s daughters, but there we are.
This book has all the essential elements for a made-for-television thriller. Hired hands who’ve botched the contract killing of the game warden, intrepid sisters braving aggressive and often eccentric suspects, no lack of seriously dodgy goings-on, illegal drug operations, mysterious low-flying aircraft, the classic crooked cop, the killers making their way to the hospital to finish the job. And it’s all set against vast and wild swathes of snowy mountainous terrain.
I won’t give away any spoilers, except to say that the case is ultimately solved. To find out whether Joe Pickett lives to feature in a 27th book, you’ll need to read ‘The Crossroads’ for yourself. I found this book is a tad formulaic, a tad clichéd, not really a page-turner … but it’s an easy read, with plenty of intrigue to keep you guessing till the end.
