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.
More reviews by Maureen Stapleton

About The Crossroads

A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING NOVELWhen Joe Pickett is shot in the line of duty, his daughters must work together to find his attacker. The brilliant new thriller from New York Times bestselling author C.J. Box'Raining here, but I've got a cup of hot tea and a Joe Pickett novel, so who has it better than me?' Stephen KingWHEN JOE PICKETT IS SHOT DOWNHIS DAUGHTERS STEP UPMarybeth Pickett gets the call she has always dreaded: her husband Joe is unconscious after being shot in the head. He was found slumped behind the wheel of his pickup at a crossroads linking the ranches of three powerful families. Each have reasons to want the Wyoming Game Warden dead, but with no witnesses, no one knows who pulled the trigger.As Joe clings to life, Marybeth keeps watch while their daughters - Sheridan, Lucy, and April - play the role their father cannot, investigating each family to expose long-held grudges and reveal the truth.But the sisters must be careful - because if this was a warning, what might the attackers do to the people Joe loves most?Reviews for C.J.Box's The Crossroads'Box delivers yet another riveting Joe Pickett thriller' Mark Greaney'The bonds of family provide the beating heart to this riveting thriller. I devoured this book in a single, breathless sitting' Megan Miranda'Proves why C.J. Box owns the modern American frontier... a story that hits with the force of a .30-06 round across the Wyoming plains' Jack Carr'Box's writing is like a porcupine quill. It hooks into you and won't let go' Steven Rinella'Box doesn't just raise the bar with The Crossroads - he vaults over it.' The Real Book Spy

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