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Product Description
Book Description
Read an Essay from C.J. Box on Cold Wind.
The extraordinary new Joe Pickett novel from the Edgar Award-winning author.Nowhere to Run was "wonderful" (The Denver Post), "terrific" (Chicago Tribune), and "outstanding" (Publishers Weekly). The new novel from C. J. Box is all that, and more.
When Earl Alden is found dead, dangling from a wind turbine, it's his wife, Missy, who is arrested. Unfortunately for Joe Pickett, Missy is his mother-in- law, a woman he dislikes heartily, and now he doesn't know what to do-especially when the early signs point to her being guilty as sin.
But then things happen to make Joe wonder: Is Earl's death what it appears to be? Is Missy being set up? He has the county DA and sheriff on one side, his wife on the other, his estranged friend Nate on a lethal mission of his own, and some powerful interests breathing down his neck. Whichever way this goes . . . it's not going to be good.
About the Author
C. J. Box is the author of five Joe Pickett novels, and has won the Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe, and Barry awards. He has also been an Edgar Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist. A Wyoming native, Box serves on the board of directors for Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
C.J. Box knows how to tell a really good story.,
By
This review is from: Cold Wind (Hardcover)
First Sentence: He set out after breakfast on what would be his last day on earth.Wyoming game warden, Joe Pickett, makes the very grim discovery of his mother-in-law, Missy's, newest husband shot in the chest and his body being circulated like a whirligig toy from the blade of an electricity windmill. Missy is arrested for murder and asks Joe to help prove she is innocent. In spite of his dislike for her, he agrees due to his wife and daughters. Joe's friend, Nate, has his own battles to fight after his lover is mistakenly killed in his place and revenge is his goal. It is unfortunate that the book begins with a portent which is not only completely unnecessary, but reduces the impact and suspense of the first chapter. Fortunately, we quickly move on to detailed descriptions creating a strong sense of place and an intriguing contrast of nature versus technology as well as a strong sense of the man being described. Box creates his characters well, providing a backstory on each one to introduce them to new readers and reacquaint those who follow the series. Although Box's secondary characters tend to be a bit stereotypical, he makes us realize that stereotypes exist because they real. These characters are nicely offset with Joe who is a man who believes in the letter of the law. However, Joe is not perfect and neither is his family which has normal family issues and problems. Joe believes in the truth, but there is an element of cynicism and mistrust which keeps him real. His characters are enhanced by the dialogue which has good flow and distinction for each character. Box's Wyoming Governor provides examples of this''I need more yes-men,' he said. 'I deserve more yes-men.' He grinned, 'And fewer independent thinkers like you. Hell, I'm the governor.'' and later' Rulon said, ''What a way to go. I hope it doesn't start a trend.' 'Too much work,' Joe said. 'Most criminals don't want to work that hard.' Box writes action sequences with plenty of tension and suspense which include the emotions associated with the events. In fact, the more impactful crime is one without violence and is based on current events. Still, I did enjoy the point where Joe's friend, Nate, talks about the situation getting very Western. There are nice twisty motives and plenty of possible suspects. The story is relevant as it involves the present economic recession, moving to sustainable energy sources and government subsidies, but not in a way that will age the book in the future. In fact, the some of those factors represent the story's more upsetting crimes. There are some minor flaws; some of the legal elements seemed off to me and the final revelation was not completely unexpected. One of the story threads probably could have been omitted but it added balance to the story and keeps it from becoming too political. 'Cold Wind' is a very good balance of all those elements one looks for in a mystery but not in any way that seems formulaic. No; Mr. Box just know how to tell one really good story and, once again, caused me to stay up way too late to finish it. COLD WIND (Lic Inv-Joe Pickett-Wyoming-Cont) ' VG+ Box, C.J. ' 12th in series G.P. Putnam's Sons, ©2011, ARC ' Hardcover ISBN: 9780399157356
4.0 out of 5 stars
I forgot how much I liked this series,
By
This review is from: Cold Wind (Hardcover)
I read C. J. Box when he put out his first Joe Pickett novel in 2001. I thought it was a great debut and picked up the next few as they came out. Well, then I kind of missed a few. I just finished the brand new book ( #11) in this series - Cold Wind - and I'm kicking myself. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this character. Joe Pickett is a game warden in Wyoming. But Joe does a lot more than check hunting licenses and monitor wildlife.Joe is out patrolling the high ridges - home to the newest kind of farming in wind swept Wyoming - wind farms. He notices that one turbine seems to be turning slower than than the others - the dead body tied to it could be the reason. The body turns out to be Earl, the fifth husband of Joe's mother-in-law Missy. Missy and Joe have never gotten along, but when Missy is charged with murder, both she and Joe's wife Marybeth ask him to look into things on his own. It looks like the local sheriff has already tried and convicted Missy. Box has taken a very current and very hot topic and woven a great mystery around the whole issue of wind farms. (There's lots of debate in my part of the world about them right now) Joe Pickett is a wonderfully likable character who tries to do the right thing by everyone, every time. Think white hat. The supporting characters are just as well drawn - the sheriff and his cronies are eminently unlikeable. As is Joe's cold, calculating mother-in-law. Joe's personal life has evolved throughout the novels as well - I wonder how much of the trials of raising three daughters mirrors Box's own life with three daughters. Joe and Marybeth's relationship seems very real as well. The secondary storyline involving Joe's friend Nate Romanowski totally grabbed me. Nate is a master falconer and fugitive. He has gone off the grid and underground in the hills of Wyoming. There are those that want him dead. More Nate please! (Fans of Joe Pike and Jack Reacher would like this character) Box writes what he knows. His descriptions of the land, the politics, social issues and the people of Wyoming all ring true. The plotting is tight, the story flows seamlessly and the ending was great.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (82 customer reviews) 20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good, but not Box's best,
By W. Owens "addicted to books" - Published on Amazon.com
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I have been a C.J. Box fan for years. In particular, I have always enjoyed the Joe Pickett novels, particularly the way Box interweaves Wyoming political issues into his storytelling.The political issue tackled in "Cold Wind" is wind energy. Wind farm development is a controversial subject in the Cowboy State, carrying with it disputes over landowners' rights, the desirability (or lack thereof) of seeing clusters of 40 or 50, 250-foot-tall turbines towering over the wide open spaces, and who is being enriched at whose expense. It's pretty clear where Box's sentiments lie, and as a Wyomingite I would have to say it's fair to say many Wyomingites agree with him. The setup is thus: game warden Joe Pickett is out one morning on a routine patrol near the ranch owned by his hated mother-in-law, Missy Alden, and her latest husband, when he sees something dangling from a wind turbine on the Aldens' land. As he investigates, he discovers to his horror that it is the body of Earl Alden, his father-in-law. Making matters worse, Missy is promptly arrested for Earl's murder, and Joe finds himself in the uncomfortable position of trying to prove her innocence. In the course of Joe's investigation, he discovers a number of people who would like to see Earl Alden dead - who could the real murderer be? The main plot was for the most part enjoyable to read. Joe, as usual, finds himself bucking the system while at the same time trying to remain true to his values. Box does his usual fine job of maintaining suspense. There were some things I found annoying, however, mostly with Box's handling of Wyoming criminal procedure. For example, Box has a lay Justice of the Peace (and feed store owner) preside over Missy's initial appearance and her preliminary hearing. Wyoming, however, did away completely with JP courts about 10 years ago; Missy's initial and prelim would more appropriately have been in front of a Circuit Court judge who is a licensed attorney. Verisimilitude would have taken away Box's ability to weave the local feed store aspect into the story, but would have rung more true. Also, the case would have been styled "State of Wyoming v. Alden," not "Twelve Sleep County v. Alden.". These technical annoyances detracted from the overall quality of the book for me. There is a subplot involving an assassination attempt on Joe's shadowy friend, Nate Romanowski. I found this subplot rather clunky; it did not seem to fit well at all with the main plot. It did add excitement to the story, and the epilogue does set the scene for a future installment; it just seemed more appropriate for a stand-alone novel. Overall, I had the sense that Box was trying too hard to put out a story that addressed wind power while it is still a hot topic and simultaneously come up with something fast-moving involving Nate. Although a fun read, "Cold Wind" ultimately falls short. All in all, a pleasant weekend diversion, but not up to the caliber of Box's usual work. 12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
I forgot how much I enjoyed this series...,
By Luanne Ollivier - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Cold Wind (Hardcover)
I read C. J. Box when he put out his first Joe Pickett novel in 2001. I thought it was a great debut and picked up the next few as they came out. Well, then I kind of missed a few. I just finished the brand new book ( #11) in this series - Cold Wind - and I'm kicking myself. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this character. Joe Pickett is a game warden in Wyoming. But Joe does a lot more than check hunting licenses and monitor wildlife.Joe is out patrolling the high ridges - home to the newest kind of farming in wind swept Wyoming - wind farms. He notices that one turbine seems to be turning slower than than the others - the dead body tied to it could be the reason. The body turns out to be Earl, the fifth husband of Joe's mother-in-law Missy. Missy and Joe have never gotten along, but when Missy is charged with murder, both she and Joe's wife Marybeth ask him to look into things on his own. It looks like the local sheriff has already tried and convicted Missy. Box has taken a very current and very hot topic and woven a great mystery around the whole issue of wind farms. (There's lots of debate in my part of the world about them right now) Joe Pickett is a wonderfully likable character who tries to do the right thing by everyone, every time. Think white hat. The supporting characters are just as well drawn - the sheriff and his cronies are eminently unlikeable. As is Joe's cold, calculating mother-in-law. Joe's personal life has evolved throughout the novels as well - I wonder how much of the trials of raising three daughters mirrors Box's own life with three daughters. Joe and Marybeth's relationship seems very real as well. The secondary storyline involving Joe's friend Nate Romanowski totally grabbed me. Nate is a master falconer and fugitive. He has gone off the grid and underground in the hills of Wyoming. There are those that want him dead. More Nate please! (Fans of Joe Pike and Jack Reacher would like this character) Box writes what he knows. His descriptions of the land, the politics, social issues and the people of Wyoming all ring true. The plotting is tight, the story flows seamlessly and the ending was great. 20 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Joe Pickett winner,
By NoGoodDeed - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Cold Wind (Hardcover)
In Cold Wind, CJ Box's eleventh Joe Pickett novel, the one-time Wyoming game warden returns to Saddlestring to take up his old duties once again, after working for the governor in a sometimes ill-fitting capacity. Shortly after Joe is reunited with his family and his beloved Wyoming wilderness he is embroiled in a murder mystery close to home: his insufferable mother-in-law Missy, a serial bride who uses marriage and divorce to climb the social and financial ladder, is arrested when her fifth husband, Earl Alden, is found shot to death and lashed to the blades of one of his windfarm windmills. It seems like an airtight case after the murder weapon is discovered in Missy's car and Earl's plans to divorce Missy come to light. Joe's wife, Marybeth, begs him to investigate the crime in the hopes of proving her mother innocent. Despite years of disrespect from Missy, Joe agrees, not least because of one glaring implausibility in the prosecution's case as well as an abundance of other likely suspects, some of whom had clashed with Alden and his cut throat style in the development of wind power in Wyoming.Besides his usual stellar mix of Wyoming landscape and politics, incisive family drama and riveting whodunit, in Cold Wind the author also reunites Pickett with his old friend Nate Romonowski (who reminds me - in a good way - of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole sidekick Joe Pike), whose own sideplot eventually collides with Pickett's investigation. In my opinion, Cold Wind is yet another hot read from CJ Box. Also recommended:A Stranger Lies There- winner of the Malice Domestic Award for best first mystery, it features a vivid desert backdrop that should please fans of CJ Box's colorful Wyoming settings. |
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