Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett has wanted his meddling mother-in-law, Missy, out of his life for a long, long time. Not necessarily in prison on a murder charge though the prospect is a bit amusing to him. Something that his wife, Marybeth, does not find amusing in the slightest since it is her mother.
But, within minutes of Joe Pickett’s discovery of Earl’s body at the top of a wind turbine on the ranch that he owns, his wife Missy is placed under arrest. Not only do the police have the weapon that fired the fatal shot, it was found in her car. Then there is the unnamed witness who has told the police about a murder for hire plot to kill Earl Alden orchestrated by his wife, Missy.
Marybeth can’t believe it and wants Joe to look into it. So too does the famous hot shot defense attorney. Even Missy asks for his help. While he won’t do it for Missy, he will do it for his wife Marybeth and for his daughters who don’t want to lose their grandmother to the prison system for a crime she probably did not commit.
Joe could use some help of his own and there really isn’t anyone around to help him. His family is under increasing strain financially, Sheridan is off to college at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, April is still having huge issues since her reunion with the family, and a host of other problems beset Joe. More than anything he needs his good friend and fugitive, Nate, back in his life. A year plus later, they have not resolved their conflict. Joe is going to have to make the first move to repair the painful rift between Nate and himself. Sooner would be better as unbeknownst to Joe, Nate has his own mounting and violent problems.
C. J. Box has long been one of those writers readers can count on to deliver a good book over and over again. Over the years, his books have won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity awards as well as numerous others because his characters are realistic and vivid, his action scenes are intense, and his mystery novels are complex plot driven works of art. Such is the case here in Cold Wind along with his regular dose of the reality of the environment in the west. In addition to documenting the fact that wind power is not at all cost effective and creates environmental issues for humans and wildlife as well as the fact that ethanol costs more to make in terms of economic issues than normal gasoline while also taking corn off the market creating shortages and higher prices, author C. J. Box creates another powerful mystery in this long running series.
Family has always been a huge theme in this series and it is again. Reminiscent of the very good Double Prey by Steven Havill, here too is another family facing major change. Not just because of the arrest and trial of Missy, the Picketts are under strain in many ways as noted above. What they face is realistic and relevant to readers inside and outside the mystery genre. That continuing backdrop of family provides an anchor and depth to the series no matter where the cases take Joe.
While this could be read as stand alone, it really would be best to read them in order. It began with Open Season” and eleven books later this series is still going strong. Get lost in Wyoming with C. J. Box as to do so is well worth it.
Cold Wind: A Joe Pickett Novel
C. J. Box
G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group)
2011
ISBN# 978-0-399-15735-6
400 Pages
$25.95
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2011
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