Beginning with “Open Season” in 2001, C. J. Box has published 11 books. Seven of them star Wyoming Game Warden Joe Picket, an introspective and gentle man who works to make his wife and daughters a good life on the meager salary his job commands. The Wyoming setting is well-realized, and anyone who has spend time in the Rockies will recognize the landscape. Box’s themes are serious and his characters grapple with life’s challenges. Still, these are great escapes and good for packing in the suitcase as you head for the beach or the mountains. Box’s later stand-along titles, while more in the thriller vein, are still well-written and plotted. Any of his books will grab and hold your attention.
