In Plain Sight

This was only number 6, but I found myself tired of Joe being dissed by virtually everyone; it happens in every book so far in the series. Here he was also badly beaten up and his family was repeatedly terrorized. But just as I was thinking that maybe I’d have to stop reading the series, things began to turn around, and THERE was the page-turner I’d come to know and love! Joe Picket is such a good guy, but he’s also smart and tenacious and loyal to a fault. The second half of this novel was terrific and there were a few surprises thrown in, too. I was so into it that, when it was finished, I actually read the preview first few chapters of the next in the series that usually follows most of these stories on Kindle. I NEVER do that, as a rule, because I’d rather start the next one when I’m good and ready, but this time I was really into it and needed to see what was going to happen next. Needless to say, #7, Free Fire, is now on my Kindle. That’s not to say that the ending of In Plain Sight was a cliffhanger. No, it was not; all loose ends were tied up and the ending was satisfying, as always. C.J. Box is fast becoming one of my favorites!

I’ve read and plan to re-read the entire Joe Pickett series of novels. I’m so happy that I saw Lee Child’s praise for C.J. Box, because surprisingly I hadn’t heard of him until a little over a month ago when I picked up his latest Joe Pickett novel, a hard-back, “Off the Grid”. I’m amazed that he hadn’t shown up on my radar years ago, since he writes the kind of novels I love to read, i.e. action/suspense. Best of all, his writing style is crisp, straight-forward and logical; none of that psycho-babble self-analysis stuff, that I find usually breaks the continuity of story flow, while not adding much of value to character development. I urge new readers to start out with his first Joe Pickett novel, and then continue sequentially through all of them before reading “Off the Grid”. This is NOT at all necessary to do. But, because of Box’s rich development of the entire Pickett Family including his horses and dogs, as well as his vital secondary protagonist Nate Romanowski, plus his consistent carry-over of the life stories of the characters who play the numerous supporting roles used to enrich his stories, reading these books sequentially may also further enrich your appreciation for the strength and proficiency of Mr. Box..

He joins my list of go-to easy to read, creative and prolific authors who spin wonderful tales – Ted Bell, Lee Child, Clive Cussler, Tony Hillerman, James Rollins, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, Harold Coben, James Patterson, Daniel Silva, etc.

This book in the Joe Pickett series was not as good as others. Other than weather that plays in to the conclusion, it lacks engagement with the outdoors, nature, hunting & fishing, the landscape, environment, etc. that is in other books in the series. I hope that’s not the way the series is trending, but the preview of the next book on my Kindle version may indicate it is – we’ll see. This one is just a family feud in a rural, big ranch setting with a criminal antagonist thrown in. Some of details in the story are just too far-fetched. The character development and evolution in the series so far (book 6) is mostly good, but some of that (such as the sheriff) is not. I’m not a stranger to western small towns, but the sheriff’s office portrayed as completely lazy, disinterested, and incompetent is a bit much.

This, the 6th in the series, continued to build Joe Pickett’s character and those of Saddlestring, WY. Although each novel stands alone, C. J. Box builds on each previous novel in the series, adding new characters and places while carefully tying each to the previous novels, collectively. This novel, like the previous 5, introduces a new mystery to be solved. As the mystery deepens, we have Joe learning more of himself while we become aware of his frailties and determination to uphold his principles and protect his family. This was yet another in the series I could not put down, holding my interest until the mystery is solved. Box holds your interest to the last page.

Another excellent book by CJ Box about Joe Pickett, his family. Nate arrives later. This one starts when the Scarlet family has a feud over who owns the family ranch when the mother dies. A person who personifies evil enters the scene calling himself Bill Monroe. His family has a history with Joe and his family, and he wants revenge for things that didn’t happen the way that his hate filled mind thinks that they did. The ending occurs in a massive rain storm (after years of drought) and kept me wanting to read to the end.

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