Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed on 9/9/2018 + 1031 more book reviews

Another hold-on-tight mystery/thriller, the third in the Joe Pickett series. Just before a huge winter storm hits, Joe sees a hunter start slaughtering elk. Catching up with the man, he's horrified to see it's the district supervisor for the forest, suddenly gone mad. Unfortunately Joe really needs to work on his apprehension skills, because Joe ends up handcuffed to his steering wheel and the suspect at large. If that were only the end of it...after he gets loose he finds his suspect pinned to a tree with arrows and his throat cut. It gets more frantic from there, with a government-hating militia rolling into town, a power-mad Forest Service supervisor, Homeland Security snipers slavering over the prospect of a shootout, and a few folks with long held grudges against the Forest Service. The biological mother of Joe's foster daughter is with the militia and starts proceedings to get April back. His money hungry mother-in-law is staying with them because her politician husband is getting indicted. This book is where Nate Romanowski shows up, accused of killing the forest supervisor. Joe will find the truth, starting an enduring friendship between the two.
Joe Pickett is such an interesting character. He's not always competent, doesn't always succeed in what he's doing, but he does what's right. Nate Romanowski tells him "You really are a good guy, aren't you?" and Joe is embarrassed. "Knock it off" he says. I like that in this book, when Joe's family is threatened, he knows he can't be the straight arrow any more although he can't bring himself to be evil.
If you have issues with animals dying in books this series is not for you. There's some ugly scenes, IMO not gratuitous, and although Box does not dwell on them they are uncomfortable to read.

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