The Crossroads

LoveReading Says

Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett has five thousand square miles to patrol in his district. Unfortunately for him, there’s trouble around every corner, but luckily for readers, they get taken along for the ride.

The Crossroads by C.J. Box again shows the malfeasance in Twelve Sleep District, Pickett’s jurisdiction. This time, though, Pickett is not the one pursuing the criminals after he is shot in the head and left for dead. (This isn’t a spoiler. Pickett is found slumped over his steering wheel in the first chapter.)  The investigation is left to his three grown-up daughters, Sheridan, April and Lucy. 

Having the trio of daughters take over the sleuthing is a fresh take on the series, given that Pickett has lead the investigations in the  25 previous books. The plucky young women show their intelligence, grit and determination as they investigate the suspects in their father’s shooting.

This outing includes all the features that make the series so memorable – beautiful Wyoming vistas, bad guys that chew up the scenery and an interesting cast of supporting characters. (When one new character was introduced early on, I wrote “SUS” in my notebook. I was pleased to be proven correct.)

As with the other books in the series, there’s a parade of animals to admire, including bears, wolves, moose, elk, mountain lions, ptarmigans and, best of all for dog fans, Biscuit the black labrador, Pickett’s trusty sidekick.

Describing a novel as a page turner is oft-used marketing jargon, but it’s a moniker that is warranted here, and with the other books in the series. Box keeps the action going until the very last pages, leaving this reader breathless until the end. 

Reviewed by Maureen Stapleton
Maureen Stapleton, a writer and journalist, has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Radio Times, Heat, and many others.
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