Game Warden Joe Pickett has a new boss.
Above her is a new boss as well as Wyoming has a newly elected Governor. Governor
Colter Allen and Pickett recently got off on the wrong foot. Pickett isn’t
thrilled that he has been summoned to meet the Governor’s plane on landing in
Saddlestring. Governor Allen is all too typical
of many politicians these days in that he is all style and flash and of little substance and character. There are
questions regarding his actual net worth, business dealings, and other issues
that Pickett does not care about as those questions at this point are more
gossip than anything else. Governor Allen does share one aspect with the
previous Governor a man that Pickett did not like that much, but did respect. He
also expects Pickett to do the outside investigative work that Governor Rulon
had him do. Unfortunately from his perspective as the new Governor recently
learned, Pickett stays away from politics and political assignments and simply
won’t do them. A concept totally unclear to the new Governor who is minutes
away from landing in his state plane.
A January morning meant that Joe was
able to meet with the Governor as things are slow this time of year in the Game
Warden business. Once onboard with the Governor Pickett learns that he wants
him to get to Saratoga and conduct an investigation. The assigned game warden,
Steve Pollock, recently quit his job and has yet to be replaced. Pickett is to
go there and make it appear to all that he is a temporary Game Warden substituting
for Pollack while privately and quietly conducting an investigation regarding a
high profile missing person.
The missing person is a media celebrity
which is why Game Warden Joe Pickett knows next to nothing about the case. A
resident of the UK and a very powerful CEO, Kate Shelford-Longden, went missing
months ago. Back during the summer she had come to Wyoming to spend a week at
the most expensive ranch in Wyoming, the Silver Creek Ranch near Saratoga.
Between the time she left the ranch on her last day and the time she was
supposed to board her flight in Denver, she vanished as did her car. Despite
all the efforts by state and local law enforcement and other parties there has
not been any sign of her at all. A British Ambassador recently reached out
through the Governor’s wife to ask about the case and the Governor is
increasingly frustrated by state law enforcement and the lack of action.
In addition to destroying state
equipment in the course of his duties, and upsetting supervisors, Game Warden
Joe Pickett has a reputation of getting things done and closing cases. The Governor
wants answers and wants Picket to get them. He isn’t going to take no for an
answer as it is clear that this time he simply can’t refuse the assignment. Things are too precarious and stressful at
home as it is and losing his job right now would be a full scale disaster.
Pickett is going to have to do what the
Governor asks and the pressure is clearly on. Good thing that Pickett has an
ace up his sleeve as his 23 year old daughter Sheridan just happens to work at
the Silver Creek Ranch. With her help as well as Nate’s through a secondary
storyline, Pickett might just find out what happened. He also may learn far
more than he wants to about a host of subjects.
The Disappeared: A Joe Pickett Novel is a solidly good read. While not the
best in this long running series, the book does provide a solidly good story.
One that is a bit predictable at times for readers that are well familiar with
this series and these characters. Family has always been a mainstay of the series
and that is present here as expected and in very familiar ways to long term
readers. Author C. J. Box is not going
to break new ground with these characters and thus hits the frequent themes of being
a parent of girls moving into adulthood and all that entails as well as the
familiar interfering mother in law among others.
A series that is best if read in order,
this latest continues the theme of family- good or bad- that has been a long
running hallmark of the series.
For another take on the book with a few
more details, read Kristin’s review at the Bookblog
of the Bristol Library.
The Disappeared: A
Joe Pickett Novel
C. J. Box
Random House Large
Print
March 2018
ISBN# 978-0-5255-8937-2
Soft Cover Large
Sized Paperback (Hardback, audio, and eBook formats also available)
560 Pages (542 of
story)
$29.00
Material supplied by the good folks of
the Dallas Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018
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