My yearly fix on the Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box. I've read all of Box's novels including not only the Pickett series but also the stand-alones and the Cody Hoyt/Cassie Dewell books. I have not been disappointed by any of them. Dark Sky is the 21st book in the Joe Pickett series and the writing and suspense has not slacked off.
In this one, Joe is tasked by the Wyoming governor to guide a high tech mogul into the Big Horn wilderness on an elk hunt. The man he is tasked with is called Steve-2 because he fancies himself to be the second Steve Jobs. He has created a social networking platform similar to Facebook that has attracted millions of users who also follow Steve-2's regular postings on the site. Many people adore him while others can't stand him. Along with a wrangler and Steve-2's assistant and bodyguard, Joe leads the group into the woods only to be stalked by someone who is out to end it for Steve. So who can Joe trust and can he use his wits and knowledge of the area to protect himself and Steve? Nate Romanowski and Joe's daughter, Sheridan, also head into the wilderness when it has become clear that Joe is missing. As a side story, Nate's falconry business is threatened by someone out to smuggle birds to the middle east for big profits. This person is also a threat to Nate's family.
Another high recommendation for this and all of Box's other works. I look forward each year to his new novels to come out. Looks like I'll be waiting another year. Hopefully, he'll be publishing one of his Cassie Dewell stories in the interim. I've also been enjoying the Big Sky TV series which is based on the Cassie Dewell novels. I also hear that there is a Joe Pickett TV series in the works. Can't wait!
In this one, Joe is tasked by the Wyoming governor to guide a high tech mogul into the Big Horn wilderness on an elk hunt. The man he is tasked with is called Steve-2 because he fancies himself to be the second Steve Jobs. He has created a social networking platform similar to Facebook that has attracted millions of users who also follow Steve-2's regular postings on the site. Many people adore him while others can't stand him. Along with a wrangler and Steve-2's assistant and bodyguard, Joe leads the group into the woods only to be stalked by someone who is out to end it for Steve. So who can Joe trust and can he use his wits and knowledge of the area to protect himself and Steve? Nate Romanowski and Joe's daughter, Sheridan, also head into the wilderness when it has become clear that Joe is missing. As a side story, Nate's falconry business is threatened by someone out to smuggle birds to the middle east for big profits. This person is also a threat to Nate's family.
Another high recommendation for this and all of Box's other works. I look forward each year to his new novels to come out. Looks like I'll be waiting another year. Hopefully, he'll be publishing one of his Cassie Dewell stories in the interim. I've also been enjoying the Big Sky TV series which is based on the Cassie Dewell novels. I also hear that there is a Joe Pickett TV series in the works. Can't wait!
21st in the series, and action-packed as always. Box wastes no time dropping Joe Pickett in trouble - even a reader who had never heard of Joe Pickett before would know within a few pages exactly what's going to happen. That' said, it's still a fun read watching Joe get out of his predicament. Box paints the scenery so well you can smell the pine trees, you can see the action unfolding before you. But I've read this plot before - it's got to be at least the 3rd or 4th time Joe gets stranded in the wilderness, hunted by sociopathic men and stuck with a semi-helpless dunce. There's several long harangues about the evils of social media, to which Joe, who doesn't use it, can contribute nothing. In fact Joe doesn't get to say a lot except his signature "real Western" line. Nate is back with an interesting subplot which I would have liked to know more about (but I also would have liked Box to tone down that villain a bit). Loved the ending. A few novels back, I was wondering if Box is going to phase out Joe and let Sheridan start to shine and with the ending of this one that is really starting to make me curious.
