Stone Cold: A Joe Pickett Novel is
the fourteenth book in the series and features the return of both fugitive
outlaw Nate Romanowski as well as Game Warden Joe Pickett. While Nate is doing
what he has to do to survive and is out of contact with the Picketts, Joe is as
well while also worrying about his missing friend. That means when Governor Rulon
suddenly demands that he come to Cheyenne and doesn't care that Joe Pickett
hates to fly, he has to go. The hatred of flying is just one of several reasons
Joe is not going to like this assignment.
Not that Joe Pickett really
has a choice. The only reason he once again has his job as Game Warden is because
of Governor Rulon. Not only did Joe keep his seniority in the service, he also
got a raise and the title “Special Liaison to The Executive Branch” to go along
with it. Joe gets the job done and sometimes the Governor, who has a major
independent streak, puts him to work on special projects. This is going to be
one of those cases.
For Wyoming Game Wardens
being sent to Medicine Wheel County in the far northeastern part of the state
is punishment. Beautiful land with few residents, most extremely poor and receiving
governmental assistance, it is not a place where a place to advance a career. Those
who live in this area also don’t welcome outsiders.
Though they seem to have
welcomed a man by the name Wolfgang Templeton. That may have happened because he
brought a lot of money to the area which he seems to be running as his personal
fiefdom. Half a dozen years ago Templeton showed up from out of nowhere and
bought the Sand Creek Ranch. He also bought up plenty of private properties in
the area. According to the governor, the Feds think that Templeton is involved
in some sort of murder for hire business. While the state folks don't have any
real reason to suspect anything, because of politics they have to be seen as
doing something to check it out. A Department of Criminal Investigation agent
was recently sent in to investigate and quickly after arrival died under
strange circumstances. Governor Rulon wants Pickett to go in undercover by doing
his real job check things out. He is to trust no one, including the assigned Game
Warden Jim Latta, and to evaluate and report without taking any real action.
The whole deal is a mess and
one Joe Pickett does not want any part of. He has enough going on at home with
his strong willed daughters and things there are starting to heat up again.
But, Joe understands very well he can’t say no to Governor Rulon. Before long
Joe is in the deep woods in so many ways.
This latest in the series is
another good one. Interesting characters, multiple ongoing storylines that
continue book to book, and plenty of mystery and action make this one another
compelling read. Author C. J. Box once again brings the beauty of Wyoming alive
in a complicated tale that quickly engages the reader or many levels. Stone
Cold: A Joe Pickett Novel releases next week and is well worth your
time.
Stone Cold: A Joe Pickett Novel
C. J. Box
G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group)
March 11, 2014 (Scheduled Release)
ISBN# 978-0-399-16076-9
Hardback (e-book and audio available
also)
384 Pages
$26.95
I was selected to receive an
ARC via the Early Readers group on LibraryThing for my use in an objective
review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
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